Her Kind Savage
by Kyle Havoc
Summary: Noble and wealthy, that is commonly seen about a pony that lives in Canterlot, but for Cadance it is not what she wants. Her prince is all but a dream, until she is saved by a creature that is savage, mute, and uncouth, but kind, gentle, and caring.
1. Disclaimer

All rights reserved.

Original story is posted on Fimfiction by SaiyanUltima

My little Pony is Owned by Hasbro Except for added Characters and theme who are around by the original author.

Please Enjoy


	2. Chapter 1

Cold, hungry, weak, and scared, that was how the young princess felt after three days of being the hostage for a bunch of griffons that were paid by their king. Her body was exhausted, barely able to stand without shaking, and the lack of nourishment made it difficult to stay aware.

It was now the third night of Cadance being foalnapped and taken across the country. She was hostage of seven griffons that were private guards for the tyrannical griffon king that was plotting to overthrow Celestia and make himself a dictator of Equus.

Being at war, however, makes it difficult to enact complex plans, and overthrowing the most powerful alicorn in Equus is not an easy task. With only a week left before the high council of Equus mobilizes to stop his ambitions, his only option was a risky and stupid move.

His only chance of conquest meant taking what mattered to Celestia the most, even if it meant having her wrath upon his doorstep.

Sadly the assumption are half true with the sleeping princess being held ransom for power and land. Said half being that she is alone, frightened, weak, and unable to get help from the monsters that took her.

Celestia had no idea where her niece was at the moment, and connecting to her was impossible.

Whatever the cause may be, it was something blocking the Cadance' magic.

Right now she was on edge with everyone, staying up every night in hope of her making contact, praying to the heavens for someone or something to bring her home safe and sound.

...

Without warning of the same actions that wake her up, Cadance' eyes shot open from a bucket of water pouring down on her right side, chilling her already cold body with the liquid she has not drank in a day and a half.

Cadance shot up from the sandy ground with a deeper shiver trailing her back, feeling the night's cold winds slip through her fur and nip at her skin.

"Huh...what?" she blurted through her icy confusion, only to glare at the seven griffons that were chuckling in amusement of her fright.

"No sleeping around here horse" a rash voice laughed, dropping the bucket on her head. "The last thing you need is sleep when we'll be moving in a couple of hours"

"S-stop doing th-that, it's al-already f-f-freezing out here!" the pink alicorn stuttered, trying to scream at her captors.

The griffons glared at her for this, sending deep hatred through their eyes as she shook off the water. Sadly when this happened, when Cadance dried herself as much as possible, she unknowingly twisted their fantasies and deviated their plan with how her matted fur stuck to her excellent curves.

Strangely their twisted fantasies were not very deep and well-thought out, just a coincidence of wanting to do more than just keep her as a hostage. Unlike many criminals that kill or sell their trophies, these griffons were imagining The Princess of Love as their little plaything before getting back to The Griffon Kingdom.

"Stupid griffons" Cadance whined with a quivering lip, unaware that her rump was being focused on by their eyes.

Noticing her innocence after she flicked her tail, the griffons became very tempted to defile her to the best of their imaginations. Still they knew that traumatizing the alicorn would make things worse on the account of her magic bursts being dangerous.

They would know that very well after one of them paid with their life, before so much as getting a shackle on her hoof.

Luckily for them she had an iron ring on her horn, preventing her magic from channeling through. But with the enchantment being temporary, it was only a matter of time before the young princess could use her magic again.

"I say we have a little fun with her before getting back to the king" The leader suggested, drawing the attention of his allies from the gasping princess.

Once that was heard and set on Cadance' mind, the other griffons smiled at the idea and nodded with him. Now their bodies were starting to waver from how hard things have become with all of Canterlot hunting them down, allowing them to spike with a dark lust that started to grow underneath them.

They were tired from all of the running and hiding, but somehow found the energy to start fulfilling their desires while the pink princess found her own energy to try and escape.

Try that is...

"Come on, come on" she grunted, focusing with all her might to summon her magic.

To her dismay there was not a flicker of magic coming to her; there was only the growing demise of being violated to a bunch of monsters that were paid to foalnap and bring her back alive.

That didn't mean they had to take her back unharmed.

"Yeah, I like that idea, and if she tries anything we'll cut off her wings and break her horn" another suggested, causing the princess to quietly panic through her struggles.

It was at that moment the pink alicorn growled and grunted with each tug against her chains, trying with very bit of her strength to escape without magic while the seven griffons stood up and approached with erections.

Regrettably she was surrounded and not going to budge the chains, not when they were deeply staked into some bit of solid ground.

"I get the plothole" their leader sneered and proceeded to be the first.

Within seconds of their sexual urgency, the griffons knocked the screaming princess onto her stomach and pinned her to the floor by her wings and neck.

Cadance' horn started to glow from how terror-stricken she was, but the iron ring continued to suppress the overflowing magic while the one holding her head jerk her up and readied to fill her mouth with unwanted warmth.

She cried and whimpered through the tight possession of her jaw, but there was no one around to give her mercy or comfort from what is to come.

Or so she and the goons thought...

"Please stop!" she sniveled, dripping on the talons around her mouth. "You're hurting me!"

"Scream all you want, we're in The Deserts of Dragoria; no one is coming to save you!" The griffon leader laughed, taking his sweet time poking the mare's lower lips with his head, and spanking each flank for an added torture.

"Please, please don't, I swear I won't tell anyone if you let me go!"

"Watch and learn boys, this is how you breed an alicorn!" their leader laughed, then thrust for his favorite part.

"No, please don't!"

Suddenly there was a large roar behind them and a pair of deep blue demonic eyes glaring from a distance, eyes that malice over the griffons preparing to traumatize the teenage princess.

"What the hell is that?" one of them asked, breaking his hold on Cadance' mouth.

Said eyes closed and sand shuffled around them, startling the griffons to leaving their fantasies for another day as they realized this shuffling was someone moving around them.

Knowing they were in more danger than ever, the group relinquished the princess and grabbed their spears from the boulder they were leaning against.

"Where is it!?" the leader yelled as he batted his terror-stricken gaze, listening to the silence that came after grabbing their weapons.

And just when they thought things were bad enough, the mysterious figure made a powerful entrance by crashing directly over the princess. It sent the griffons across the sandy grounds with a powerful shockwave, causing the fire to go out and leave them to fighting in the moonlight.

Initially Cadance wanted to scream when it stood over her , but the force that shot around them stole her breath. Now she was trapped under the monster's legs, watching and crying as it crouched over her and released breaths of ember.

"What the hell?" The griffon leader groaned as he glared at the creature, staggering to his talons and paws.

The creature scowled at him and sent a flurry of fireballs that licked the sands with intense heat, hardening many sections of the grain sized sediment into glass. No one was actually hurt when this flurry happened, just startled, but the griffons were not wise enough to see that their opponent was dangerous and only warning them.

"Kill that bastard and make its head a trophy" the leader ordered, followed with hurling their spears.

Cadance could do nothing, her mind was shutting down from exhaustion and stess over the creature's appearance. She was barely able to rouse her remaining energy to witness said creature tear a spear from his shoulder and roar three mighty flames that were intentionally aimed to open areas.

When they saw this happen, his rage over the pain, the griffons spun around and sped into the darkness without looking back. They flew off into the night, disinclined to continue their mission when the beast had yet to falter from his wounds and hurt them.

Quickly the fighting was over, but Cadance was gone for the time being, gone into her own little dreamscape while the beast scooped her up and reignited the fire with his emotion differing hair.

Angry and hurt, the color became a deep red while the fire burst onto the logs and shed light to show where the abandoned equipment was at.

Once he eyed the blankets and pillows that were laying out and about...he got to work.

...

Cadance awoke to the sound of wood cracking and burning. She shot up from the softness under her and saw that it was still dark, signifying that it was still nighttime. Her breath was quick and deep, causing her chest to heave with the uncomfortable pace of her heartbeat before forcing herself to calm down.

She found herself lying on top of the blankets and pillows the griffons used, along with fresh fruit and a canteen of water piled in front of her. Feeling her stomach growl and her lips crack, she ignored the thought of any potential dangers and immediately engorged herself with the free food and water. Once those two minutes ended, she caught onto the scent of something that was foul and nearby.

It made her grimace and gag a little before realizing that this stench was coming from her. She lacked a bath and desperately needed one, but the exhaustion and fear of the desert around her prevented the usage of her wings or what little magic she has right now.

Still there was the relieving touch of freedom around her hooves. She didn't know it yet, but the sharp pain in her hooves made her look down the blankets to see that none of the shackles were on her hooves, but there were bandages wrapped around the open scrapes. She was free and able to move on her own, free to escape from the nightmare that tires her, but where could she go when said desert is unknown to her?

Through her little game of search and question, the heaviness of reality fell into place with the emotional distress. Her moment of being free changed to the fact of being alone and weak in a place that is potentially dangerous; not to mention the creature she witnessed could be out there.

Remembering that creature was not a good thing for the pink alicorn. She began to whimper and cry at the flames for some security and warmth from the blackness that is around her, hoping for someone to come and find her before anything else could happen.

She missed being in Canterlot with her auntie, she missed Twilight, she missed being around Shining Armor and his marefriend when they left school to go have a little fun before his cadet training started every day at four in the evening.

Her life in the castle was desired as a filly wants ice cream, her aunties warm and loving touch was a deep craving that made her eyes water even worse.

"I-I want to go ho-home" she hiccupped to herself, holding the blankets as tightly as she could through the fear and worry of getting back to Canterlot.

...

Suddenly Cadance' ears stood straight up, perking to the sound of sand shuffling behind her while a fresh blanket was added to her hind legs that stuck out. She turned around and immediately screamed at the top of her lungs when the one that gave her the extra blanket came into the light.

Frighteningly it was the creature that protected her from the griffons. He stood at least 6'2' with a bright glow of white hair that reached to his ankles, his eyes did not compliment the blank expression he had, nor the terrible scars around his throat. His outfit was a pair of torn pants that have added cuts from the weapons the griffons used, but worst of all he bandages wrapped around his left shoulder while a large rag was wrapped around the palm of his hand.

"No, please don't hurt me!" Cadance screamed, scrunching and struggling to shuffle out of her blankets

The male did not say or do anything to the princess. He walked past her and took a seat on the nearby boulder that allowed him to see in the distance. His figure came into full view for the princess, her fear of said creature lowered into caution when they had good distance between. He removed the rag from his palm and proceeded to lick the gash that was close to the vein of his wrist.

He cleaned the blood off as it seeped, causing the alicorn to be nauseous before everything came together in her mind. When she watched him finish cleaning the cut, spitting out the blood and sand with disgust, she stopped overlooking the situation and pondered what might have happened after she passed out.

 _He wasn't hurt from before...did he get hurt from...protecting me?_

After a few minutes of wondering about this, Cadance decided to leave the thought alone while it was still peaceful enough for her to get some shut eye. She laid into the pillows once more and forced her eyes shut, only for her curiosity to keep her wide awake with many questions about the creature.

She already knew from his scent that he is a male, but that was all she knew about him. Whether or not her mind was screaming for her to stay quiet, the pink princess did not listen to that common sense.

Instead, she tried to make conversation.

"Are you okay?" she asked, the tone of her voice genuine with concern over his wounds. "That cut looks pretty bad"

The male didn't answer, he only leaped from his boulder and approached the scared alicorn with a gentle tug of the blankets. Of course he received a glare for that one, but quickly countered the rudeness with a token of kindness. He confused the alicorn with this, with laying the blankets over her once more, until she remembered having her legs exposed.

Still, the princess felt confused and untrusting of the male towering over her, tucking the ends around her body while he stared blankly into her eyes. Had she paid attention to his bandages she would have seen that part of the cut on his left shoulder was poorly cauterized.

By the time Cadance could find the will to look away from his eyes, his deep sea blue eyes, his hand moved over her cheek and caressed with an almost invisible touch. His distance did not make the princess comfortable or happy, nor did that blank expression he continued to wear when caressing her. She was trapped with trepidation that made her skin literally run cold and shiver throughout being under the warm blankets.

However, she could not deny this touch being the first bit of care she's received in the last few days. What was worse is she could not find the willpower to push his hand off of her or request for him to stop. It was an ensnare to her fragile state, baiting her with naught but the smooth petting that trailed to her ears.

If she was expecting more out of his strange nature she didn't show it when breathing quietly in relief of her ears being scratched.

"Why are you being so nice?" Cadance asked tiredly, her eyes already being closed as he moved his other hand to finish tucking her neck in.

He stopped, turned away without so much as a word, and walked away from Cadance. He held onto the silence that she stopped feeling uneasy about and made his way back to the giant rock. Again he jumped onto to the boulder and found a comfortable spot with the satchels that were left behind. He laid on his stomach, propped the bags under his chin, and watched the pink alicorn drift into slumber with a weak smile that was from how comforting his petting and ear scratching was.

Thus he was alone and wide awake for the long night ahead of him, acting as a bodyguard until morning could come and guide the mare back to the lands she is from. He was not fond of being a babysitter to this pony, nor happy that it had to happen on his one night of blowing off some steam. The very idea of protecting someone this grown put a confusing emotion in his chest, an emotion that did not sit well as he took an apple from one of the satchels.

It felt different, too different for his kindness to be going so far as protecting a creature that looks to be the same age as him. He knew to protect hatchlings whenever they play with him, but the thought of this mare being in his care brought a bad taste with each bite of the apple.

Sweet and crunchy, yet so vile and loathsome, he swallowed the fruit, the uneasiness in his chest, and waited for the sun to show itself in the next few hours. Once it did, he could leave the mare and go back home to the kingdom that is probably on edge with his disappearance. She would be well-rested and able to return to her home without another question about his actions and presence.

He held onto that idea, almost relishing the loneliness with a toothy grin. Nothing felt better than getting his alone time from everyone and everything in order to escape the facts that make him so meager.

Sadly that didn't happen tonight, and tomorrow was not looking any more promising.

To his unmindful dismay was that fate had a different intention for him and his life as the loner. What happened tonight was only the beginning of something bigger, and each second of being around this mare would make him realize that destiny has played its' strings to intertwine him and her.

And right now fate was smiling down to him, waiting for things to unfold and play out...


	3. Please

Dragomir' was up and ready for his short departure back to his home. His inconsideration of the situation did not come to mind as he focused on the treasures that were in the two bags he had thrown over his left shoulder.

The fire was out and covered in sand, the sun was starting to beam over the desert's horizon, and the bag he prepared for Cadance was filled with a full week of rations and four canteens of water that are unused.

His wounds were not getting any better with the bits of sand digging through the gauze wrapping and touching his torn skin. Last night was nothing major since the adrenaline took time to slow down, but now it was starting to become an irritation that spiked into agony whenever he tried to scratch it.

With only a good hour left before the sun rose completely, Dragomir' had to start moving in order to make it back home without the trouble of the heat being on his back.

Knowing that most don't survive out here without proper food and water, he felt it was best to leave the alicorn with the things he definitely would not need.

Why would he when his home is only a couple miles away?

Said half-breed double checked his new treasures to make sure none of them would fall out, and replaced his bandages with the extra wrappings. Unfortunately he didn't have an easy time doing it when the results of his kindness were dried to his skin, sticking to him like an adhesive that can tear hide off if he was not careful

"Hmph." he huffed in response of the pain. His eyes started to water as each little inch of the gash was pulled and reopened with the bloody bandages.

Meanwhile in his unbearable suffering, a certain pink princess was waking up to his moans and groans that altered to yelps every few tugs he made. Curious of the noise and lucky to have no extra sand attach to her at night, Cadance slowly rose from her slumber with an ear flicker to start her morning.

She was groggy and imbalanced when it came to just rising on her haunches, but the noises she recognized from her savior baited her mind from the starting fear of being lost in an unknown desert. It didn't sound bad at first, much like something that is in a tunnel, but after a couple minutes of yawning and waking up she realized that the different noises were not a positive thing.

"What?" she forced through her cute yawn; this time smacking her lips together after shaking her head of the blanket that was wrapped around her horn.

Again she heard a small yelp and became worried about it. Until it led to her finding Dragomir' on the same boulder with most of the bandages off.

It didn't register to Cadance at first, judging from the little bit of sunlight, it looked as if he was scratching himself of a terrible itch. Upon a closer look, however, she figured out that the small sunlight was playing tricks on her eyes.

Said mare gasped into her hoof with a sudden flooding of guilt. Her eyes trembled with the small quiver in her lip as she watched the half-blood focus from the pain by biting onto his bottom lip.

There was no doubt about the man being in terrible pain or agony. His wound was not a normal cut that someone gets from hitting a sharp stick or falling onto a rock, it was a gash that appeared to be a foot long and barely bleeding from behind a large section of the dried blood.

That caught the mare's attention, seeing the cause of his pain shine brightly.

"Oh no." she whispered to herself, feeling regret for the man as he started to cry over grabbing the last of the stained bandages.

Cadance was disgusted of this, almost nauseous of the man's ignorant attempt to fix the problem himself. Knowing little to nothing about cleaning a wound, Dragomir' was doing more harm than good.

It didn't make the alicorn feel any less fearful of the half-breed, but she knew better than to let a wounded victim take care of himself when it runs the risk of infection. Granted that she owed him a little for his gallantry, knowing that she would have been bleeding from her innocence or dead in this unforgivable desert.

Said mare started with a slow pace of fighting her fears, only for a moment of repaying the man a little. It was just a small step towards him, then another slow one with the canteen she drank out of last night in her magical grasp.

There wasn't much left, but just enough to wash out most of the sand that is in the wound.

"H-hey," she stammered. Her eyes widened at how he stopped and glared at her, expressing not a bit of friendliness as she levitated the canteen to him. "If...if you wash it off first, yo-you'll be able to clean it better."

Dragomir' didn't take her kindness lightly. He acted rudely with spitting raspberries at her before returning to the last strip of bandages.

Said princess flinched as he did this, her heart stopped for a second in recognition of this being the first time anyone has ever been so rude to her. Of course she has classmates that act jerky to her, mostly the mares that are jealous of her being a princess, but never before did a stranger act so rudely to her information.

For most mares it would have been the start of a conflict, a fight in simple terms, but for Cadance it was just an insult that sparked a tiny speck of determination in her heart. She was still afraid of her savior...no, scratch that, she was terrified of him and constantly wondering if he would take advantage of her at any given moment.

But seeing him in so much pain made her act careful and slow. Hence levitating the canteen to him instead of closing the gap of their distance.

"Please-" she trembled at the edge of the boulder, flaring her wings to be ready for takeoff if he were to attack. "-Just trust me on this. I promise it will be easier if...if you pour the water on the wound."

Again Dragomir' inhaled a deep breath and readied to give her another one of his raspberries, but before he could stick his tongue out he felt a sudden jolt to his chest. His deep breath exhaled in one big huff, the bandage finally came off with his reaction to the pain, but the ability to stay still withered away with his strength.

Before he could put his legs under him for balance, the wound opened again with another flow of blood and loose sand. Both were flowing down his left peck as he stumbled to the edge and fell over, landing on the bag he already prepared for Cadance' journey back to wherever she came from.

Thus the worries about their encounter halted for this situation. Now Cadance was gasping as he groaned on top of the bag that spewed with every bit of food crushed and the four canteens shattered.

Clearly the drop was at least fifteen feet, but said princess didn't expect him to fall over and crash without some instinct of catching himself.

That is until her fear was pushed aside and replaced with concern for his well-being, in which caused her to run to him and scream in her mind of what she assumed about his injuries.

 _He's badly hurt, he needs a doctor, but where!?_

She slid into the half-human and pressed her hoof onto his chest, only to find his glare shift into a deep scowl after he snapped at her in his own defense. This made her yelp and jump back, barely avoiding his fangs with just a small graze, but still she shook away the idea of leaving him out here when the damage was bad.

Dragomir' obviously didn't like having the mare touch him. That showed as a natural spike of fear turning into anger, but what choice did he have when the pain was too much for him to ignore?

Still he tried to move from the mare, only to have her magic pin him down and separate his hands from the deep cut.

"Please stay still, I just want to help." she screamed desperately, struggling to hold the man down with her magic as she looked around for something to stop the bleeding.

Seconds went by for the worried princess. She panicked and hyperventilated during her search for anything that can stop the bleeding until she could get help. The gauze wrap was ruined, covered in sand, and the bandages from before were not an option since it circles back to the risk of infection.

Cadance didn't know what to do or say at a time like this. She was never met with helping a wounded creature that is in agony and slowly bleeding out. It was frightening to her, almost heart breaking with the assumption of him dying under her hooves, and all she could do is cry while looking around for something to close the wound.

Until...

"The satchels!" she yelled, targeting the two bags she didn't know were the one's that Dragomir' packed.

Acting quick on instinct, and part of what she remembers learning from the school nurse, Cadance jerked the bags to her and turned them upside-down. Immediately it was nothing but gems and trinkets that appeared to be stolen, then came some knives, and finally from the second bag were the necessities she needed.

Dropping between the two, causing Dragomir' to feel that she was stealing from him, was an extra large roll of gauze, a bottle of pure alcohol, and a half-full jar of antibiotic ointment.

Clearly the griffons were well-prepared.

Finally some hope was shining down on the princess. Her worries lessened and allowed her to smile weakly as she fought with the half-human's struggle of snatching what was levitating in front of her.

Clearly he didn't know what she was doing, but his defensive reaction did not stop her from trying, in which was the snapping of his jaw.

"Stay still for a moment," she ordered, forcing the remainder of her water to pour and wash out most of the wound. "I'm just trying to help you."

Dragomir' didn't listen to her, he kept at his notion of freeing himself and taking back what he claimed last night. For the few minutes of struggling in the alicorn's magic he acted like a child getting put in a timeout, growling and fighting with her as the last bit of nursing was done.

It didn't feel right to him, it didn't feel good to have someone help him. His pride was a little hurt at how a such small female could keep him down and wrap him up, providing a much more efficient way of playing doctor than he could ever hope to.

"There, all patched up." Cadance sighed in relief and fell back to calm herself down.

The first thing she did was lie on her back and take in the cool morning breeze while it was still amongst her. She calmed herself for the first few seconds without recognizing that Dragomir' was on the verge of tackling her and acting out for being held against his will.

Said human curled his fingers, readying to strike with the instinct of hurting those that touch his belongings. He was close and she was still unaware of the hand that was about to touch her throat.

Not for the kill, but for the latter of the lessons he learned from his parents.

But just as he was about to close in on her and act on his anger, the pain disappeared and the calming words of said princess stopped his outburst before it could start.

Smiling at Dragomir' now, but still distancing herself from him, Cadance stared at the half-human and said..."I hope I didn't hurt you too much, I never did that before."

How could he get mad at a smile like that?

You could say that he was charmed to staying his hand before it rose from the sands, along with his anger being soothed by the small chuckle she gave while standing up and moving to the other side of the small camp.

As enticing as it was to him, to frighten the mare into never touching his things again, there was that small mentality of recognizing the good deed she performed on him without hesitating. Sure it felt hurtful to his pride to have a pony patch him up, but it wasn't any different than from the female that tends to his needs on a daily basis.

In a weird sense of staring at the alicorn, watching her look around for some sign of civilization, Dragomir' could see a bit of a specific person radiate from Cadance' personality.

The care, the quick thinking, even the warm smile, it all reminded him of the person he knows is worrying about him right now. And as these pieces of her fit the mare so well...he felt some consideration of being more thankful...and an unwanted realization of what was under him.

Said half-human turned and stared down at the crushed food and canteens, only to huff a small flame in annoyance of what fate has just done to him.

Poor guy...

Thus he acted he finished with a deep sigh and a low hanging of his head as she returned to her side of the camp. In his frazzled mind was the conclusion of where everything was going between him and the pink princess. With miles upon miles surrounding them, there was no way Cadance could survive alone in the desert without food and water.

What's worse for him is the only place to get such necessities is near his...home.

"So where are we exactly?" Cadance asked with a cute tilt of her head and a hoof pressed to her chin.

Her only answer was that Dragomir' whistled to her and pointed at the place he had in mind. And once the princess' attention was drawn to the half-human, he made his way towards what he calls his home without checking to make sure that she was following.

Unfortunately for him the gems and jewelry were left behind, knowing that most of them were lost in the sand because of his childish struggling. He wanted those gems too, he wanted to add them to his small hoard that is in his bedroom, but now they're all buried in the sand and probably lost forever.

It's better that way since most of the jewelry still had enchanted tags on them.

Oh this was not going to be a good day for the teenager, especially when that first step he took towards his home suddenly caused his body to almost topple over with the lack of energy.

After falling to his knees again Cadance hesitantly watched with a good thirty feet between them. She stared at the half-human grunting and fighting the exhaustion he was experiencing. She wondered if maybe he needed leverage for the walk they would have to make to reach the castle that was she could see in the distance.

Her mind as screaming to stay away and let him make the journey by himself, let his body wear itself out so that he cannot possibly touch her. But her heart was saying otherwise, telling her to give a helping hoof before he kills over from blood loss, exhaustion, or dehydration.

Just the limping made her cringe in pity. She didn't want to get hurt or captured again, but the fear of him dying before getting to the castle in the distance was overriding the fear of being his hostage or sex slave.

Can she believe that however, can she really assume that everything the man has done is not an act of chivalry?

Although he is a new creature to her, a stranger with beastly features, Cadance could not fight what her conscience was telling her to do right now.

Afraid or not she had to take in consideration of him saving and taking care of her overnight.

 _I guess I should help._

Thus her mind was made up, but very hesitantly.

Before Dragomir' could take another step towards his home, or limp in better term, he flinched at the surprising touch of the mare's neck going around his arm. And just before he could do anything to separate himself from said princess, her soft feathery wing on her right side wrapped around his waist for an extra caution.

Basically to keep him from falling backwards.

"Let me help you." Cadance chirped with a nervous smile. Her wing tightened around his waist and her pace slowed to his, but she kept it going to ensure herself that they would get there together.

For Dragomir', all he could do was stare down to the mare and wonder why she was being so nice to him. After keeping herself so distant he assumed that his presence is unwanted. But now with her patching his chest up and helping him across the desert, he didn't know whether to be thankful or defensive.

So for the time being the two teenagers paced towards the castle in the distance. Nothing but the sweet sound of silence passed between them as the morning heat washed over their backs, and a single thought in her mind.

 _I seriously need a bath._


	4. Meeting

The desert was mostly quiet, aside from a snake slithering sideways to reach for his breakfast. Cadance had been hobbling closer to the castle in the distance with Dragomir' leaning against her back. Her right wing stiffened when the muscles cramped from curling around his stomach for the last hour. She and the oddly shaped man were tired and in need of rest after spending a good hour in the desert sun, albeit for different reasons.

Cadance just wanted a hot meal, fresh water, and a nice bath to clean out every grain of sand that's in her fur. Every step closer to the castle was an annoying sensation of sand moving in places she never thought to have existed. There was sand everywhere. In her mane, behind her ears, even between flanks and she had nothing to possibly remove it. Furry or not, certain parts of her body were starting to chafe from having to move so much in the last three days.

Slowly she looked up to her panting but still not trustworthy hero. Gazing worriedly at his wound, she noticed the bandages were falling off from the amount of sweat his body is releasing. It had to have been an hour and a half when she put those bucking things on his pasty skin. So why in Equestria were they falling off now? Why were the bandages letting go of his skin?

 _This is really bad. If he doesn't get help soon...he'll bleed out._ she said in her mind, panicking at the sight of blood starting to ooze out of the gash.

She began feeling the sensation of what it means to fail in the end. For a moment she could not find any reason to be grateful. The she began to swell with the lack of hope, tears imminent as the first sign of his weakness came out as a painful cough.

"Just hang on a little longer," she said frantically to the creature, her pace picking up when another cough released large drops of blood. "We're almost there. We're almost at that castle, so just hang in there with me please!"

Cadance reached deeper around Dragomir's side and supported more of his weight, this way he could not stumble into the sand and take her down with him. She could feel his legs giving out, all the while his blood started to drip from his wound and mouth and onto her fur. Cadance didn't care though. She was stricken with the terror of Dragomir' dying before they could reach the castle. Nothing else mattered to her, not even the rewarding sensation of a bath. All she had on her mind was getting her strange hero back to where he came from.

 _That has to be where he came from,_ she thought, ignoring the unquestioning sounds of dragons roaring.

The castle was so close now. It was so very close that she could almost feel the enchanted chills that are inside. Her body was craving that cool air so much it made her heart race with the rhythm of her hooves. She just needed to make it another hundred yards and they will be in the shadows of the castle.

Smiling at the seemingly empty fortress, the young princess began to cry. She was going to make it. She was going to get her strange hero into the castle for medical attention. Suddenly she noticed one of the corners of the castle had a small figure at the top. A creature of the same figure, taller and maybe feminine, judging from the way she looks, watched as they hobbled into the shadow.

Cadance felt every drop of sweat chill within an instant, her sweat almost freezing to her fur as they fell from weakness. Both of the young teenagers made it, but neither had the energy to keep on running. Luckily they did not have to run anymore, but just fall into the cold sand and let the magic around this castle wash over their bodies as bites of morning frost.

Clearly there was powerful magic about this place, but Cadance did not care. She was just happy to have made it to the shadows.

"Help!" she yelled at first, drawing the attention of the figure at top and a large dragon of silver. "HELP! HE'S BEEN STABBED! PLEASE HELP US!"

"Dragomir'!" the small figure screeched from the top, her voice definitely feminine. She was a tall and slender creature with eyes of the most beautiful shade of amber, and skin that was pure silk. "Erion, get over here right now! That pony has Dragomir' with her!"

Cadance was about to pass out from starvation and exhaustion, but the female at the top of the tower startled her into staying wide awake for a little longer. Watching the female drop from the tower and descend in a grace of magic, the Princess of Love met with a divine beauty that placed her hands on both of them.

After the female checked to see if the alicorn had any wounds, she went straight for the coughing male. He rolled onto his back and yelped at the woman for ripping the remaining bandages off his skin. It was not intentional to hurt Dragomir' like that, but she had to see how bad the damage is.

"Oh baby," the female cooed sadly, running her fingers across the outer rim of the boy's wound. Tears began to fall as the doors of the extremely large castle shot open, with the same silver dragon darting towards them. "Don't worry. We're going to get you fixed up. Mom and dad are going to fix this."

"Dragomir'!" the silver dragon barked, his voice rumbling the ground. However, it was all she could hear before her body and mind gave out in one swift, numbing sensation.

When the Princess of Love stopped struggling to look up to Dragomir', the world went dark and silent, as it did the first time she found herself in the talons of her captors.

...

The hour of the desert night drew closer throughout the sands of Dragoria, and all who felt the Night Mother's darkness fell into solace of the cold protection from the heat. Cadance shifted her head left and right as the voice of one female soothed her emotions when they were taken into a nightmare of the last three days. She tossed and turned aggressively, unaware that her place of sleep was soft and safe, a security which she desperately searched for in her awakening.

"No...away..." she cringed to the face of her captor. To the griffon that planned the entire foalnapping in the first place. Tears began to run down her cheeks, as the blanket that covers her slithered up to her neck.

Guided by the female voice she does not recognize, the young alicorn followed it until the nightmare was taken away by her eyes opening to the world she believed to still be the desert. She did not rise from the softness that diffuses the pain she felt in her wings hours ago. Instead, a fast flutter of her majestic eyes became the response to what is singing to her.

 _"Silent night...Holy Night..."_

It was angelic, almost the same to an angel humming as it plays the harp. The voice continued, and she followed it without hesitation, like a lost puppy trying to find its owner. The dangers of this unknown voice did not come to mind, nor did the fear she felt when Dragomir' met her.

 _"Rest in heavenly...peace..."_

Finally the voice was too beautiful to ignore, to strong to resist in her wake. So she sat up from the softness and yawned cutely to it.

"Aunt Tia?" she mistakenly presumed.

"No my dear, I am afraid I am not who it is you want." the song went away, replaced by the owner of the voice.

This made Cadance shoot her gaze after coming to quick realization of whom it is that speaks to her. The first thing that came to mind was her well-being. To be sure if she is safe or a prisoner for a different group of monsters. Luckily the first thing that gets to her before the panicking could start is a cold rag being pressed against her forehead.

The one who did this smiled motherly at the princess and giggled at her. "Relax young one, you are safe here." the female cooed, her figure still blurry from Cadance' equilibrium being off. "Now tell me; are you injured anywhere other than your horn and your hooves?"

Cadance did not answer the female. Her mind kept telling her to not speak and just stay still so that it all goes away. Unfortunately, her heart said otherwise about the figure, and it said for her to at least trust the female enough to help her. Still, she did not know if her life is in danger or if solitude is around her. How could she know which of the two this female is if she can't even see her properly?

"My-my aunt said not to talk to strangers." she replied nervously, swatting the hand which lures her into comfort.

The female is no longer a blur after a few seconds of rubbing her eyes, and by the gods was she a divine beauty; even for being a strange creature, she carried herself in grace. Her hair shone in the moonlight with an obsidian gloss reflecting the stars, something almost similar to her aunt's mane, without the flow that is. Her skin was a light tan of silk that has no blemish, not even a pimple. An hourglass was the first thing that came to Cadance' mind when she looked down to her legs and came back up.

This...thing was gorgeous and kind to her, and she had the gall to swat her hand away when she was just trying to be nice. And her eyes, her fiery, gentle, glowing, amber eyes were magnificent.

The female continued to smile whilst dipping the rag into a clay bowl of ice water. "You're aunt is very wise to tell you that, but you are no stranger to me. Not when my baby is alive because of you bringing him to me in time." she said in a motherly tone, her smile unwavering, although she should be disappointed in the alicorn for her response.

Cadance recalled Dragomir' falling with her after reaching the shadows of the gigantic castle. Her eyes widened at the memory. It was starting to make her worry about the man, who happened to be in the bed next to her, resting in his own little world.

However, Cadance did not think about looking for him. She was already so distraught from everything that happened, and it was getting worse as she panicked towards the woman.

"Dragomir," she said quickly, almost confusing the woman. "Where's Dragomir? He was hurt when we-"

"Calm down my dear. My son is right next to you, sleeping at the moment." the woman interrupted. She stepped aside and gestured the alicorn to look with a wave of her hand. "You see? He is alright at the moment."

Cadance felt herself relax a little. She thought about her strange hero having worse than she assumed at first, but it was all in her head. The pasty creature she helped across the desert was lying in a white bed with an I.V. in his right arm. His wound was stitched and patched with thick gauze, and all the blood she remembered on his skin was no longer there.

The Princess of Love sighed deeply into her hoof, grateful that he was still with her. Suddenly her mind went to work on what the woman said to her. Backtracking to the last sentence the woman said, she returned her gaze to the smiling female and cocked an eyebrow before sitting up from the bed.

Adjusting to where her wings can unfold freely, she focuses on the woman. "You're his mother?" she asks, receiving a nod from her.

The woman raises a hand to her chest, pressing it to the crevice of her breasts. "That's right. I am Dragomir's mother, and I have you to thank for bringing him back." she said softly. "As for my thanks, I am forever in your debt. If it wasn't for you, the poison he contracted would have killed him in another day or two."

 _Poison,_ Cadance thought. _There was poison in one of the weapons those griffons had._

"But what is your name little one?"

Cadance snapped out of her thoughts and cleared her throat. "Oh, I am Princess Cadance of Equestria. My aunt is Princess Celestia. And who are you?"

The woman's smile grew a little bigger. "I am the Queen of Dragoria, wife to King Erion of The Dragons. My name is Megan Williams, but you can call me Megan if you'd like."

"Megan," Cadance whispered, before remembering last night. Immediately, she cleared her throat and removed all formalities. "Sorry, but you don't owe me anything. I only helped Dragomir because he saved me from a bunch of griffons."

"He did?" Megan questioned, brow cocked as she folded her under her chest. "So the reason for the poison is that he protected you from a few griffons. But that doesn't explain why you are so far from home."

"I was foalnapped by them." Cadance answered grimly, glowering to the sheet over her hind legs. She began to cringe at the thought of those things almost violating her. "They were going to rape me before taking me back to their leader for hostage. If it wasn't for Dragomir' coming to my rescue, I...I..."

"Oh you poor thing," Megan cooed lovingly, extending her arms to the teary-eyed teenager. "Come here."

It was surprising to Cadance, but the hug that wrapped around her was more than anything she could process right now. Her emotions were all over the place, and this tender care Megan showed made it harder for her to stay in control. She could feel herself slipping into the warmth that licks her surprisingly clean fur.

Obviously she was given a bath during her sleep, but that did not matter. She was just glad to be out of the desert and in a safe place again; even if it is a stranger's home, it was safe and the one who lives in it is by far the best thing to a mother comforting her.

"It's okay Cadance, you are safe with me. Within these walls are the most powerful of dragons in all of Equus." Megan whispered softly, stroking the young mare's head. Suddenly the alicorn fell apart in the woman's chest, tears falling into her dress while the moon rose into the night sky. "There, there, sweetie. No one is going to hurt you here, and you are my personal guest for saving him."

Cadance said nothing in response to that. She was too torn up inside to do anything other than utter her relief in sobs. It was too much for her to handle, being captive and forced to endure more than she should. The emotions just poured out of her as the woman held her tightly and hushed her crying.


	5. Dept and Truth

The castle was as cold as the Devil's dreams, not even a matchstick, nor a single breath of heat to pierce through the thick chill running through the alicorn's fur.

It was a perfect day to love the cold.

Cadance remained in bed and waited for Megan to return with the breakfast she promised. It was barely morning and the desert around the castle became a wasteland of sandstorms gusting without mercy. Dragons were on the prowl with this sandstorm, protecting said castle with ancient magic of their own. It was amazing to see the dragons use their own power, more amazing than watching Celestia move the sun.

Cadance watched from the window to her left. Up, up the dragon's went. When they finally reached the shadowed overhang in the barrier, their claws hit the large shield and enhanced it, flashed it three times with a forgotten language, a signal she herself had discovered only once in her life.

Three answering flashes of light came ten minutes later, some fifty yards apart. The dragons were moving closer now with every passing second. Soon they'd be close enough for her to the full language of the dragons and feel their almighty power drift as waves of colorful aura. Cadance felt her blood pump faster, as it always did with the ever-present sensation of excitement suddenly appearing at the sight of great magic, waving and roaring at their command.

She could only hope the magic these dragons bribe the barrier with will remain as beautiful as ever, as the colors that slither from their claws.

She still wondered how long it will take for Dragomir' to awaken from his unfortunate slumber. Blessedly, his steady breathing gave the young princess a sense of hope. However, there was still one important question that continues to berate Cadance. A single question that she cannot get out of her head.

That question is...

"What exactly are you?"

Celestia had always told her to never ask that question, because it was rude and mean, but evidently the discovery of a two-legged creature that breathes fire removed formalities.

Cadance ruffled her wings and pondered his species a little longer. She sniffed his scent though. He smelled of a wild wind and a storm-tossed dune. His face was still tanned, even when he lost so much blood. But underneath the blanket that keeps him warm, he looked very fit and healthy and splendidly male. _Odd, but...not bad looking if you get past the fangs._ She'd thought of this every time Dragomir stirred in his slumber, groaning and turning from both sides to adjust himself.

Cadance became worried that his sleep was more than just a comfortable position. Evidently the groans meant deeper, as well as the cringe he cast subconsciously to the ceiling.

She stepped out of her bed, her wings ruffling uncontrollably from fear. "At least he isn't spitting raspberries at me—but I guess I should do something to help him sleep—"

"He'll be fine," a familiar voice interrupted in a angelic tone. Megan lightly laid her palm on her son's soft cheek, and slowly lowered the breakfast tray onto Cadance' bed. "It is just the medication working through his system. Give it a few more minutes and he'll be awake or sleeping like a newborn baby."

"But doesn't it seem wrong for him to act like this," Cadance respectfully argued, denial hinted in her voice. "Medication is supposed to make things better, not put them through some uncomfortable sensation, right?"

"You are young and ignorant, just like my son, but you are very kind to remark upon his condition." Megan studied the alicorn for a moment, so very beautiful she was, and she could see herself in her, the way her eyes shined concern when Dragomir grunted, how she frowned as his hands grabbed the bed sheets. Did Cadance at all have a resemblance to the one that hurt her the most? Megan didn't know, she'd never known of another alicorn existing in Equestria.

"Human is what we are," she said politely. "Or at least I am still completely human while Dragomir is a human with a dragon spirit."

Cadance looked to the woman, a quizzical stare cast. "So you bred with a dragon?"

Megan lifted a hand to her mouth and proceeded to laugh quietly when the alicorn observed the glowing lump in Dragomir' throat. "Oh, not at all sweetie. Dragomir was a normal human in the past. What you see is the result of many dragons, including my husband, King Erion, that have shared pieces of their hearts to keep him alive."

That got Cadance to cock a brow at the woman. Surely it was some sort of joke that the teenager before her is not as his own mother stated, right? She had to be pulling her leg or twisting her mind with a joke about cross-species. "I don't understand you at all;" she replied respectfully. "What do you mean _a dragon spirit_?

Megan leaned down to her son and pressed a long kiss to his forehead and down to his cheek, murmuring a spell that guided to the glowing energy in his throat, her voice soft, but firm as the magic trekked his skin. Though she had little power right now Cadance felt love bursting from the woman, an overwhelming, perfect emotion of a mother's devotion. She knew that Dragomir meant so much more to the woman than any mother should feel, and she was glad for it.

The words came from her soul, not just her heart. "When Dragomir was a baby he fell to a spell that accidently struck his heart during a long fight between a mare and I." She used the venom of her hatred for this specific mare in mind, releasing pent-up frustration as her eyes locked onto the scar in the middle of his chest. "She was desperate to keep me as a prisoner in her home. Desperate to keep me as her lover. Our fight, however, caused Dragomir to slowly die, and I was left with no choice but to flee from your country."

Cadance gasped into her hoof. The shock was almost too much. Emotional pain ripped through her heart, bordering on guilt it so strong and finite. She felt her tears rise as Megan retreated to her calm and benevolent demeanor again, a sigh of emotional control as she took in the story.

Megan ran her hand down the smooth scar of her son's chest to his stomach. She felt glad and thankful again as the soft moan from him gave indication of a comfortable slumber. She massaged his hand when it came into hers and the sensitive bundles of nerves beneath his skin. "If Erion hadn't offered a piece of his soul, along with many other dragons offering their help, Dragomir would not be with me today." she explained wholeheartedly. "I owe my life to Erion, but for some odd reason...a date is all he asked for."

"And a date is all I wanted when we met." a large and powerful voice suddenly said in the infirmary, his presence all-too familiar to the woman but completely terrifying to the teenage alicorn.

Cadance jumped across the floor and yelped behind the laughing woman, tail tucked and head low as the owner of the voice walked inside the room in his much smaller form. He flicked his tongue in the open air and chuckled lightly while observing Dragomir for any signs of consciousness, his magic aiding him while his queen approached. "I see that my hatchling has yet to awaken. Perhaps the poison did more damage than we thought."

"Hello love," Megan said softly, receiving warm nuzzles from the silver dragon. "Did you have fun with the diplomats?"

Erion ran a claw down to the smooth curve of her waist. He felt firm and strong as he gripped tight, relishing the soft flesh of his wife as she pecked his checked. "I had fun when I left them to squabble over the pony being in Dragomir's care. The first thing I had to deal with is some of the lesser dragons demanding that the pink one is locked away or given to them as trophy." he replied tiredly. "Dragons and their endless greed for everything."

Cadance felt her heart give a strong jerk of fear as the two oddly coupled lovers smiled at her. Again her mind was telling her to run away and fly as fast as she can before someone tries to keep her hostage. Her pulse pounded and her lips dried. Her stomach turned upside-down and became heavy with foul tension.

Luckily the Dragon King lifted a claw to the mare and placed it on her back, rubbing some of her tension away with a smooth stroke of his glistening scales. "Do not worry little one," he said kindly. "You are under the care and protection of my son, and I assure you that he will not allow any harm to come your way."

Cadance did loosen up when the Dragon King's claw rubbed across her back. It was like a thousand soft brushes digging into her skin to scratch away an accumulated itch that nopony can remove without the help of another. She snorted lightly and shivered as the moment went on, but quickly came back to her senses when Erion's size through her off.

She stared at him incredulously and pointed a hoof at him, almost as if the obvious were not so believable. "You're not like other dragons," she said curiously. "Are you a dragon that never grew?"

Erion chuckled at the teenager and withdrew his claw. "No, my dear, I simply compensated my size with a little magic to help me better introduce myself to you," he answered, wiggling a finger to the curious mare, his grin becoming slightly dark. "Do not underestimate us, dragons, as beings of pure strength and brutality. Like my ancestors, I am one of very few dragons that have the ability to use magic in a form other than my own fire breath."

"Okay, you used magic to make yourself shrink," Cadance said redundantly, "But if you're the King of Dragons, then does that mean Dragomir is actually—"

"The Prince of Dragons, yes," Erion interrupted. He took step towards his stirring son and placed his claw over his forehead, feeling a slight fever build as the Princess of Love watched carefully. His eyes burned with gratitude as the young boy moaned in his rising slumber, his eyes flickering while Megan rushed to his side. "Though he is my adopted son, he is still my hatchling, and I cannot thank you enough for bringing him here. Had the poison reached any further to his heart, my wife and I would not have been able to save him. And for that, young pony, my son is forever in your debt."

"Debt?" Cadance questioned. "All I did is help him get here. I did nothing other than help him walk back home and—"

"Do you not know the code of a dragon?" Erion asked out of the blue. His interruption began to annoy Cadance, but she kept her tongue still for what the king had to say. She was not going to disrespect him or request for her to finish talking, especially when her next meal and place to sleep is actually hot food and a real bed. She was tired enough already.

Cadance shook her head at the dragon, ignoring how Dragomir stirred into reality with a loud snarl and a swipe of his sharp claws. It wasn't until she looked past Erion that the two teenagers locked eyes together, just enough to know they're okay. After that, Megan went to work on Dragomir' bandages and feeding him the second tray she brought.

"Stay still, honey," Megan cooed softly, pulling the bandages up to baste the wound with a strange, green paste. That got a hiss out of the boy, including a quick snort of blue fire from his nostrils. "I know it stings, but it will make the burning stop and prevent any infection."

Cadance looked away from Dragomir and focused on Erion, although her mind told her to eye him a little longer. "What's a dragon code?" she asked.

Erion looked away from Dragomir and sighed into the open, dry air. "I know what you went through. I read your mind while you were sleeping, and what you almost experienced is not equal to you saving my son's life." he answered sternly, his royalty showing in his voice. "He saved you from being raped and taken to the Griffon King, but you saved his life. Dragomir must follow the code of a dragon, because you saved him from death."

"And that means?" Cadance drawled.

"It means that my son is forever in your debt. He is to serve you in any way you see fit." Erion said


	6. Forced to Accept

"Serve me?" Cadance exclaimed, in her own way. Confusedly, she moved her gaze to the confused Dragomir and longed for an answer from him. But, alas, her befuddlement was the same as injured teenager in bed. He was giving her the same look as Erion and Megan chuckled to their adorable confusion. Finally, in some manner of her own bravery, she shook her head and said, "No, no, no, no, no. You must be mistaken, because _he_ saved me as well."

"He saved you from being raped and dragged to a kingdom that is out to overthrow your country," Erion countered for one simple reason. To remind her the undeniable fact of her predicament being less than his. "But you saved him from certain death, and saving a life is the highest service seen in my kingdom."

"But I just helped him get back to his home. I had nothing to do with saving him from poison," Cadance said irritably, her wings ruffling uncontrollably in reaction of her emotions. "I did not know that your son was poisoned by those crooks."

Erion could see that she was frustrated already, but she needed to see how great it was of her to _help_ him. She needed to realize that saving his live meant something deeper than a debt that can never be paid, and he was going to make sure of it.

Erion frowned at the princess. Cadance was kind and bold to deny the debt his son owes and even if she didn't want to hear it, she needed to listen him and understand that kindness runs deeper than simple words. He had a valid point. She saved his life, and saving a dragon—let alone a prince—is something that cannot be forgotten very easily.

The Dragon King had felt a bit of his honor wounded when the princess held a firm gaze with him, so warm and strong that it lured his instincts. Right there, in the infirmary he had a pony princess denying what his son must offer in return of her small heroism. Over the years of being a father and a married dragon he had beaten his inner dragon and suppressed it so that no one but the enemies of his country could see him at such a dangerous state. And yet, here was a teenager from a foreign country, staring him down and denying the truth. If she could this and still maintain a brave look, his wife had a point, the one that Dragomir needs is someone that will push his boundaries as a royal and a boy.

If so, if his wife was right, why couldn't she accept the debt that is owed? It didn't make any sense to him—did she not understand what a dragon's oath is equivalent too?

"Cadance—" Megan stepped between the two, breaking their locked gazes on one another. "—I know it must be different in your country for someone to save another's life, but this is not Equestria. Dragoria follows a very different society; to a dragon, there are certain things that must be upheld for honor and pride."

"I know things are different between countries," Cadance said, "But I am not cool with the idea of having somepony serve me for the rest of their life."

"Whether it is _cool_ or not, my son owes you his life for saving him. It is a dragon's code to serve the one that saved them until either dies." Erion snorted at her, smoke rising over his head and into nothingness when it touched the ceiling.

"Yes, but he is not a real dragon. He is half-blooded because you saved him when he was little."

"But he is still part dragon, and that is more than enough." he ventured.

As the arguing continued, Dragomir hopped out of bed and felt a slight check of the ground beneath his feet, almost as if the surface switched from its usual sandy roughness to a smooth carpet. Someone had smoothed the floor. He halted immediately in his stand and drew in long, slow breaths to calm himself down. Unfortunately it was easier thought of than done. Cadance and Erion were still arguing about his new servitude while Megan got between them as the voice of reason. She did her to silence the two, but her kind and loving nature was far outmatched by the sheer truth of a teenager alicorn and a dragon sharing one thing in common.

The inability to listen with their ears.

Dragomir found a hair tie in his clothes and used it to tie his glowing hair back. He slipped the band around one long tuff and shifted his attention to the outside world that is his home, mottled shorts wrapped around his waist as he approached the window. The pain he felt after waking up was completely gone—thanks to the ointment his mother provided, and his fatigue was mostly replaced with bursts of energy he gained from sleeping.

"I am not going to accept this!" Cadance yelled, her horn glowing from lack of control.

"Yes, you are accepting!" Erion yelled back, flames of blue licking his lips.

Dragomir shook his head, disappointment etched across his face as he stepped through the window and onto the balcony. No one in the infirmary noticed his disappearance, but a few dragons roaming the enlarged streets took notice of him. Those who noticed Dragomir escaping from the infirmary either shook their heads or smiled at him for being so adventurous.

"Now where do you think the young prince is headed off to?" a well-aged dragon asked his mate, his yellow scales gleaming in the sun as he watched the boy make sudden leap to the next building.

"Probably going to check on his gem horde in his room," his wife chuckled. "That or he is running away from his overprotective parents again."

"Can you blame him? He does have little freedom within these walls."

"True, but he is still a hatchling in the king's eyes. And all hatchlings must learn that their parents will do everything in their power to keep them safe."

Using various acrobatics his mother taught, Dragomir landed onto the next building and used the smooth tiles to slide down the roof. He'd thought little about this as it happened, but why would he think about it? He had already completely embraced a heritage that makes him different and unique. He was not the same human most dragons came to love and respect. He was one of them now. He was a young Halfling in the making, and one with great honor.

Fortunately, his chosen clearing at the edge of the roof was a straight shot to the next window. Dragons in the sky and on the ground watched him with excitement, none trying to stop him, sensing this next jump would be a little more difficult than the last one.

He lowered his body in the middle of preparing to jump the clearing, feeling the cold, enchanted wind drift across his skin. He was surrounded on all four sides by the cool breeze of his home. Slowly, he began to channel magic into his legs and feet. As he leaped off the building at the last second, he sent out a brilliant stream of multicolored fire into the open sky, to inform every dragon of his awakening and cleanse his urge to roar like them.

The dragons beneath him returned his amusement with flames of their own, each being a different color that reached for the stars before dissipating. This had been passed down through generations from dragons of ancient times; to roar and breath fire for fun was their way of saying hello. The louder you roared, the bigger the flame, the more you were recognized by other dragons.

Landing on a lower building, Dragomir made a quick dash across the roof and breathed fire again so that his parents would definitely know of his escape.

* * *

"You are going to accept and that is final!" Erion stomped the ground with all of his might and snarled at the young princess, his animalistic fury having little to no bounds as their argument ended in the worst way possible.

Cadance drew in several deep breathes and continued to glare at the Dragon King. Her face was so ravaged with emotional pain, she wanted to fall down and cry. There tears under her eyes. Her legs were shaking with anger, her hooves losing some of the bandages from so much stomping. Clearly she had been emotionally wrecked long enough to cut away the common sense of thinking about her injuries. It was very obvious in the whimper she carried in her heavy breathing.

She wanted to drop to her stomach, cover her face and sob. How could one living being think that way? How could a father believe that his son is in debt to this filly for her actions? Shaken, she pressed a hoof to her mouth and looked away while the king turned sharply towards his wife.

"She is not to leave without Dragomir' at her side," he told his queen, receiving a reluctant nod from her. "The same goes for him, because I will not have tradition broken in my family for the sake of one pony."

Megan stepped forward and tried to be the one with reason, but her attempt was futile. She had reached up to her husband to try and calm him down, but he left her without giving second thought of the young princess having enough to deal already.

"If she will not accept what must be honored, then she will not leave this kingdom." he said before slamming the door behind him, ignoring that his son was nowhere to be seen in the room.

Cadance looked up to the woman but stated in the shadow of her mane, tears running down her cheeks as the woman offered a loving hug. At once the stress of being lost and scared increased, short, little, hiccups that were muffled in Megan's arm. Pain came next, as did the smooth embrace of the queen.

When she was certain of the princess crying against her completely, Megan proceeded to rock her back and forth, just like she use to with her son.

"I am sorry for all of this, for my husband's lack of understanding," she said softly to the teenager. "I would help you, but I must agree with Erion that Dragomir is in your debt."

Cadance just shook her head and whimpered deeply to the woman. "I-I want to g-go home."

"I know sweetie, I know," Megan cooed. "But the sandstorm outside of the castle is too dangerous for even a dragon to venture. Besides, aren't you curious about this place?"

"No, no, I am not!" Cadance snapped. "I only want to go home to my aunt. I don't care about anything here. I don't give a buck about this place!"

Megan sighed upon hearing those words. "So you are not curious or interested in my son?" she asked, sadly. Now there was a terrible guilt embedded in Cadance' chest.

The young alicorn looked up from Megan's arm and gasped in realization of her words. The atmosphere went up in flames of panic as the woman released her and stood up to retrieve one of the trays. She pressed her lips together. Cadance needed to correct herself before the queen became definite of what she thinks of her.

Her heart began to accelerate into worry. The words were so close, but she could speak properly for some reason. "I-I did not—I mean I just—"

"It's alright," Megan said solemnly. "You're scared and confused, and that is normal for a filly in your situation." She began to walk out of the room with the empty tray in her hands. "I will send one of the guards to fetch you. Dinner is at eight. Right now I need to go find out where my pain in the butt son has wandered off too."

And just like that, with a quick exit, Cadance was left alone to rethink what she just said.


	7. New Perspective

"This is so unfair. I did not ask for any of this to happen to me."

The pain in Cadance' voice tore at some of the guards that were on patrol for the prince to return. At least she was able to go outside and see how things are in the Kingdom of Dragons. The market was extremely large and bright, the vendors screaming at one another in their draconic language, something she could not understand. She could almost understand from their body language how trading was going with the dragons.

Cadance followed the path towards what she believed to be a large park for families, so it says on the many signs that point in different directions, written in Dragon and Equestrian. Again, the path was long and stretched wide, warm and soft beneath her hooves. Annoyance swept through her. She wouldn't have to walk amongst the dragons if they would give her a little space to stretch her wings.

 _This is a load of cow manure. I'm an alicorn, and I should be flying, not walking great distances._

The pain of being a personal guest/hostage to the king took her breath as she connected fully with reality. She had thought herself free and ready to go home—after all, she did deal with enough trouble for one day—but there was no real way to convince herself otherwise the majority of her predicament. As far as things are going for Cadance, she was going to spend quite a bit of time with this scaly brutes.

She allowed that thought to burn mildly in her mind in an effort to accumulate some sanity before another dragon accidently nudges her with a swish of their tail. She was totally exhausted. She had so much sleep but could not find the energy to remain emotionally collected and mentally stern. Sure, she endured so much in the last week—what with being a hostage and having a half-blooded creature save her—but it had seriously depleted her emotional and mental energy.

Still, the thought of Dragomir having the same amount of pressure put unto him was not so bad; at least he has to deal with the alicorn as much she has to with him, which in turn made it somewhat better. Cadance would have to be careful with him and not take her situation as far as Erion wants it to go, but she could not be so close to losing her mind and not trying to for the worst by making a break for the sandstorm. She would have to assess something like, but for now, it was adventure for the pink princess.

 _When I get out of here I am going to tell Aunt Tia everything._

The entire time she'd walked through the market she pondered some way of keeping Dragomir as far away from her as possible, albeit rather harshly. Her beautiful purple eyes had grown ice-cold as she thought about the Draconic-Human, who just so happened to be very close right now.

"In debt to me for saving his flank, pfft, whatever!" she said for all to hear, but what did it matter? She did not care right now, not in the slightest—Or does she? "I don't care about honor or tradition. I just want to go home and see my family. I want to see Twilight. I want to see Shining Armor and his marefriend, Fleur!"

Each thought made her more furious. How could the Dragon King think of keeping her here until she accepts Dragomir' service for such a small act of kindness? It did not seem right for Dragomir' own father to make out as a slave for the alicorn, a servant that must serve his years to a princess that is still in training.

 _I'm not going to have some weird freak follow me everywhere just because his dad mad him. My friends will think I'm some kind of monster or a loser that has a weird pet._

She did not wait for the crowd of dragons in front of her to cross roads. She entered a large area that is fenced off with deadly runes through the wonderful use of teleporting. Of course that tired her out, seeing as how she can barely teleport across long distances. The gates she walked through were steel and imbued with special incantations to prevent any tampering from thieves or attackers. Both gates closed off and hummed powerful magic after connecting, signaling the teenager that she was now under the same protection these dragons enter while playing at the park. No new motives had pierced the alicorn's mind, but the ones she had made some progress. She was very clueless of the area but knew what to do.

Inside this park were many grown dragons herding around the corners to watch the little ones play in the sand dunes or the grass that was enchanted to grow and never die. There were purified ponds for the hatchlings to swim in, trees to climb and scratch for cleaning their claws. Mounds were filled with common gems for them to dig up and take home, such as it is always is when their favorite playmate pays a visit.

Cadance found she was getting many quizzical stares from the adults as the hatchlings hurried along to see their big friend setting up a game in the sand dunes. At first she became stiff, walking like a marionette with somepony jerking the strings to her legs. Anger flowed out with movement and she found she could easily have made herself a bad target if she did something wrong. But who could blame for this? It was not normal to the teenager to have so many dragons in one area. After the burning sensation of so many stares, the prickly sensation throughout her fur was more annoying and troublesome than what she could manage. Cadance picked up the pace to see what is happening, but in defense to her state, she was not ready to test running when her hooves are bandaged.

 _This is so freaky and weird. How does Aunt Tia deal with diplomats when they arrive?_

Cadance stopped at the edge of the playground and tried to relax, but deep inside, she coiled, ready and more than willing to make a mad-dash back to the castle for her own safety. She might be an alicorn, but there was no way she could handle herself against one dragon. She doesn't know what they can do or what they could do if she crossed one.

The Princess of Love slowed her breathing as the hatchlings ran over the mound that is meters in front of. They laughed and screamed playfully as the one entertaining and watching over them gave chase. Wasn't he too old to be having fun in a playground for hatchlings? They surrounded their friend in a flash when he leapt over the mound and growled lovingly, puffs of fire smoldering across their scales, something Cadance failed to realize is a dragon's way of showing care for the little ones.

None of the hatchlings could talk, but he did not care. Their actions said enough.

Cadance tilted her head at her fellow teenager, confusion written on her face. "What the hay is he doing with those dragons?"

It was with that question she drew the attention of an elderly dragon sitting next to her. She just failed to see that her space was not as open as she thought it was. Said dragon was indeed ancient and wise, perhaps wiser than Erion himself, but he kept to his own business throughout the day. He was larger than most of his own kind, red from head to toe, and endowed with a golden spine that has not been touched by age.

"He is playing with them," the red-scaled beast breathed his words, accompanied with slight curiosity of the alicorn showing her presence. "This is what Dragomir does every Thursday for us dragons. He plays with them so that the adults can spend the day with their mate or friends. The dragons you see are actually common folk watching for their own amusement."

Cadance did not take her eyes off Dragomir, her ears folding back when the hatchlings started nipping at his skin. Not that mattered anyway, for he was not as weak as she sees him to be.

"So he is...Foalsitting?" she asked, receiving a slow nod from the dragon.

"Yes, but we call it Hatchsitting in our country," a sense of leisure passed between Cadance and the dragon. "But tell me, pony princess, what are you doing here when you should be in the castle? Dragons are not your interest, nor is the prince."

Cadance, taking that as an insult, snorted at the dragon and looked away. "I'm going to be stuck here for a little while, so I thought about exploring this kingdom. Besides, I was bored and wanting to get away from the castle."

The dragon merely smiled at her for the excuse, knowing darn well her real intention to visit the park is not to end boredom. He chuckled and proceeded to lie on his stomach, knowing how uncomfortable it is to sit in the sand. His response to her only made things more awkward.

Cadance and her new—also very unwanted—companion watched Dragomir roll around in the sand and allow the hatchlings to dog-pile him for the time being, his growls loud yet very soft in the stillness of everyone paying attention. During all of this, a soft blush burned across her cheeks and her heart skipped a couple of beats without warning. Her eyes softened at Dragomir acting so kind and gentle with the little ones, never raising his broken voice or a hand to stop their playing.

Cadance wanted to deny the blush, but it was inevitable. She had been drawn to stallions that have a gentle way with foals and a loving nature that is nigh impossible to corrupt. She knew this guy was a predator—a beast that will kill for others—and that anything he learned was from living with beasts that fight and horde for a living. He was somewhat compared to a monster. Still, somewhere within her conscience, there was a new perspective of him.

She could barely look away at the athletic boy. Had she stared at Dragomir any longer, her blush would grow hotter until everyone could see it. _He seems to be having a lot of fun with those baby dragons._

"Oh, we got a runner," another dragon said across the playground, pointing at a black-scaled hatchling running for a gate that was left open.

Dragomir heard this and gently pushed the other hatchlings off of him, disappointing some when he stopped their nipping. He gave a sharp huff and sprinted towards the hatchling, startling the princess with his incredible speed. Though the teenage Halfling was severely wounded and weak, he couldn't imagine, any more than he could now, what would happen if the little adventurer made it into the market road.

After getting between the curious hatchling and the road, he gently descended and bit on the scruff of his neck. His nip bunched the tough skin, anchoring under the scales, his first fatherly, controlling move, his first action as a true caretaker for the little ones. He waited a moment for the hatchling to finish his little tantrum of kicking and screaming, giving the boy a chance to calm down.

Cadance was shocked by this. Her mind stopped as the prince sighed in disappointment of the little dragon continuing his fit. Her brain threatened to short out. Her experience as a foalsitter nearly burst in her chest. Every muscle hardened as blood rushed hotly to her head. Her calm demeanor was now hot and aggressive, an unforeseen circumstance she wanted to allow. She felt angry and appalled, not just his response to the baby, but the method he used.

She rose to her hooves and rushed to the Halfling with ill intention, drawing air into her lungs. The dragons looked down, glaring at the alicorn with enormous eyes, their nature as a dominant species rising to stop her, but not before she confronted the boy.

"Put him down!" Cadance demanded.

Dragomir and the other hatchlings tilted their heads at her. None of them understood why she was suddenly so angry with him. Confusedly, he set the infant to his claws and nudged him away with a push of his hand. He looked as calm and as familiar as ever—the same caring prince—but, to Cadance, there was something very wrong with him, something she believed to be lack of proper care for babies.

"What the hay is wrong with you!?" Before Dragomir could use body language to express what he feels, she jabbed his bandaged chest with her hoof. "You don't carry a baby by the back of their neck. You have fangs and could seriously hurt one of those dragons like that. How would you like it if someone lifted you up by the back of your neck with their teeth!?"

Slowly, carefully, he withdrew himself, took a few steps back to gain distance from the aggressive teenager. He was stunned, a little unsure of Cadance being as friendly as he thought, his breathing just a bit ragged from the pain of her jabs, his fellow dragons were totally infuriated. He leaned away, this time slow.

"Is this how you treat all babies when you are sitting for their parents? Because if it is, then there must be something really wrong with you."

The dragons circled around the two teenagers and watched very closely as their prince was assaulted with words. Never was there a fool with such ignorance about dragons and their culture. Until today. "Don't you ever put your fangs on a baby dragon ever again. Are we clear on that!?"

Dragomir found her choice of words very insulting. He found himself disliking yet admiring the pony all the more. He knew she was completely oblivious to what he was doing for the dragon, knowing her kind never have the chance to fully study dragons, but she was also making a fool of herself, degrading him.

Cadance closed her eyes and breathed deeply, collecting her mind a little at a time to try to keep sanity within her grasp. Until the most unlikely of voices reached her ears.

"Dragmir, you are in so much trouble!" That voice was unlike anything she heard in her entire life, but there was no mistaking who it was that screamed furiously just now. Her words sent chills down the boy's spine as he watched every dragon in the park disperse with the little ones, leaving him to deal with the most terrifyingly influential female in the entire universe. "If I find out that you snuck out of the castle, so help me, there will be no tomorrow for you. Now get your ass back at this caste in the next two minutes or there will be hell to pay!"

A bubble of nervous laughter welled up in Dragomir. Still, he would rather fight with his father than the woman who was planning to hunt him down.

"Was that your. . ." Cadance broke off in a muffle. Her muzzle was firmly grasped by the boy, and she was thrown against his chest with the wind gusting through her mane in an instant. Now she was scared and confused, again. _What the. . .How in the hay am I—_ She looked down, realizing her hooves were not touching the ground. Dragomir was carrying her, and he was sprinting towards the castle for his and Cadance' sake.

"Run, young prince!" a nearby dragon screamed. "Run as if your life depends on it!"

"It does, you idiot!" another stated.


	8. When Loyalty and Greed Collide

Megan took a deep breath and tried to think past her son's inability to remain indoors, although his adventurous nature prevented that. She was already scared to death for him. Her son. Her baby. The very breath of her body. Running through the city to keep his promise to the little ones. She was certain of it, but he was everything to her.

"I tell him to stay inside, but he runs off to entertain the hatchlings!" she yelled angrily, her magic glowing and shaking the throne room violently, as though it were a maraca in her hand. "Just once I would like for him to stop disobeying us and use his head instead of his heart."

"It cannot be helped, love," Erion said softly. "It is in his nature to never break a promise, just like his father. It's the dragon-side of him that twists his conscience, so you should not be as angry with him."

Still holding his much smaller stature, Erion rubbed her arms soothingly, wanting to calm her nerves. His every instinct was to abate her anger, to quell the fury she carries as the voice of reason in their unique family so that there was no conflict between her and their only child, but that felt too much like stealing her emotions. Without Dragomir here to face the consequences of escaping the castle, Megan would surely grow angrier by the minute.

"I'm going to break my foot off in his ass when he gets back, then he will have no supper for tonight!"

"You're overreacting."

"You're not reacting enough!"

"Perhaps, but can you blame him for being so energetic?" Erion asked, before turning his woman to him. Their eyes met, and her heart slightly melted inside the magical glow that is his soul. "I remember a beautiful woman running away from me every time we kissed, wanting to make me earn her love."

Megan coughed into her hand, clearly trying not to laugh. "Yes, I would run and hide throughout the streets to torment you. And whenever you found me, a kiss was your reward."

"And now our son is tormenting a princess that is far from home by baiting her with who he is," Erion implied teasingly. "Does that remind you of something?"

Megan already had the answer to that, although it was not the one she wanted. Her son was indeed playing the same game she use to play with Erion, but it is him running away while Cadance gives chase; even though their lives are opposite, there was something going on between those, and it was growing.

Erion's expression never changed, but his laughter was contagious. Megan still tried to hide her own amusement, glaring at her husband, but in the end she knew far too well not to feel his laughter at her own expense.

Her eyes bore into Erion, making him want to squirm under her lustful gaze, but he stayed very still, determined to keep his composure as a king. If anyone saw him surrender to his queen so easily there would be no end from the high council. They would tease and joke with him how his wife can crush him with her looks and charm.

"What am I going to do with you two? I have enough to handle. . ."

"Yes, but maybe we can relieve some of that stress," he murmured, licking her upper lip. "It has been a few days since we tried to make a hatchling."

She shook her head, but compelled herself to laugh at him for being such a male, sliding one hand to the one place only she is allowed to touch under those scales. "Did you remember to get another fertility serum from the elders, one that will be safe for me to use?"

Erion smiled mischievously and snapped his talons, summoning between them a blue vial he locked away in their bedroom. "I made sure to have this enhanced with your blood and magic. If it does work, the most that will happen is either an egg, smaller than a human infant, or the hatchling will take human shape."

"But it is safe?" she asked. "I won't have my insides altered or ripped apart?"

"Perfectly safe, love. I made sure to test it on a sample of your blood, and the results were very pleasing."

Megan was already so sensitive just that his touch sent her body reeling again. The idea of their next attempt made her smile, until Erion used his power to close off the throne room and fly to their shared symbol of authority with a flap of his majestic wings. He was a godlike being in mortal form, indulging in the sensation of his woman's love. He retracted his claws and chuckled deeply in the crook of her neck, before reaching under her robes to grab his prize.

She gasped, air exploding out of her lungs, her mind going blank as he caressed each cheek in just the right way to make her go crazy. He loved the way her cheeks tightened with struggle. "So firm and plump that it is heaven in my hands. And here I thought a normal dragon of the opposite sex was intoxicating, but I was so very wrong."

"St-stop talking like that," Megan stuttered, her lust burning across her rosy cheeks as she looked away. "It's embarrassing to hear you talk about me like that."

Erion laughed heartedly. He simply adored how she was so easily broken by his words. There was no amount of gratitude to the heavens that could match his love for this woman. Not even the finest jewels in all of Dragoria could equal how much she means to him. Her beauty was one in a million, perfection in his claws, and he would kill anyone that dared to touch it.

"I didn't know my queen could be so sexy by being embarrassed," he whispered. "The idea of you being flustered by my words is truly exciting, almost as much as touching your backside."

"What is with you grabbing my butt? Try something different. . ."

"But I like grabbing your butt, and I love how it drives you mad," he whispered seductively. "I love driving you mad, my queen."

Megan groaned, but continued her movements, placing one foot on either side of his legs. He caught her hips and urged her down right over the top of him, so that she was grinding his semi-erect length and covering the scene with her robe. Her eyes locked onto his.

"You are such a tease. Is there no end to your torment?" She arched her back and yelped at the slow gliding of his girth, her eyes glowing with the fog of a blank mind. "Are you going to keep torturing us, or are you going to take me before our son comes back with that filly?"

Erion did not take another hint. He leaned forward and felt the first shock of their bodies becoming one, sending her tight muscles to strangle his flesh, so that his breath caught in his lungs. He squeezed her cheeks a little harder, claws splayed wide to take in as much skin as he could, and drug her to his waist, filling her with every inch of his mass.

"Let us practice here. It would be a waste of a good serum if we use it now."

Her amber eyes smoldered with her hidden fire. She still trembled with each thrust of his cock and it was difficult for her to conceal her screams behind these walls. He loved that quality in her as well, all that lust and love burning in one but contained in her slender body, just waiting for the right moment to explode.

His body began to relax with the aftershock and he allowed himself to retreat from inside of her, that secret haven he would always be addicted to. Sitting back, he let his gaze drift possessively over. Surrounded by the vacancy of the throne room, they began to make love in pure bliss, just the two of them, carving another moment of love into their eternity as king and queen.

"We had better hurry, or else we'll have to explain to Dragomir' about the birds and the bees." Megan panted between thrusts, her insides soaking his legs.

"Well, my love, I guess I better ta—" Erion broke off. His ears twitched at the sound of roaring in the distance.

Very gently, he stopped his wife from her thrusting and lifted her from his waist, delaying the climax she was close too.

"Are you serious?" Megan pouted, ignoring how her husband suddenly darted to the nearest window. "I was so close to—"

"Oh no," Erion whispered, his words snapping Megan from her sex daze.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Another roar echoed, and dragons rose from the streets to watch as two angry beings clashed with pure hatred for one another. Fire and lightning soared between the streets, exploding on contact while a feminine voice screeched in fright. Erion may be old but he was no fool to the sound of battle. This battle, however, made his scales go cold; even though Megan came to his side and wrapped her arms around his, the warmth could penetrate the fear he was feeling.

"Baby, what's the matter?" she whispered. "Tell me what is wrong."

Erion growled dangerously and curled his claws. He was immediately furious and ready to change back, but that would mean causing a big scene at the assumption of what he believes to be happening.

Megan turned to the ruckus that is happening in the market area and watched as stone and wood flew across the sky, causing her to flinch. "What the hell is going on down there!?"

"It's Dragomir' roar," Erion snarled. "Someone has challenged him for ownership of Cadance."

Megan's eyes widened, and all her anger towards her son died.

"Oh shit," she whispered.

* * *

Ten Minutes Prior

Dragomir whipped around the streets with Cadance firmly held in his arm, ignoring her demands to put her down so she can fix her mane. He was starting to wonder if it would be easier to dump her off in the middle of the market and forget that she ever existed. It brought a smile to his face.

"Put me down right now!" Cadance demanded, her mane blazing through the speed of his sprinting. "I swear upon my aunts name if you do not put me down I will make you pay for ruining my mane. It's already frazzled from lack of proper washing!"

Cursing in his own mind, Dragomir' leapt onto another building, intentionally making her mane go wild in the wind to get back at her for what happened in the park. He channeled his magic into his legs and picked up more speed almost in the blink of an eye, causing her to flail in his arm.

"For buck sake. . . LET GO OF ME, YOU FREAK OF NATURE!"

Dragomir ignored that insult, although he wanted to retaliate by tossing her away and giving up. His kindness, however, would not let him do so. Reluctantly, he came to screeching halt in the middle of the market, and gently dropped Cadance to her hooves. He wanted to turn and walk away. It felt so easy and hard at the same time. Why couldn't he look away from the alicorn and pretend she does not exist?

"You are a bucking jerk!" Cadance yelled angrily, adjusting the bow in her mane. "I haven't been awake for a whole day and I'm already covered in dirt because of you suddenly picking me up and running back to your mom. You could have just left me to talk with the others, no—you have to drag me along!"

Dragomir was untouched by her complaining. He wiped the dirt from his cheek and gave this "Are you done?" look as she continued ranting about his inability to act like a normal being. His expression would be a mystery to most ponies, but Cadance clearly saw the meaning it and became furious by it.

"Don't give me that look!" she yelled, before shaking her head violently. "You know what, forget this and forget you. Just stay as far away from me as possible. The sooner I can go home the better, because I want to forget about what has happened, and I want to forget about you being in my life!"

Dragomir' expression went neutral. His heart sank. All he wanted to do was enjoy playing with the hatchlings and make her day a little better by getting out of her hair, but that completely backfired. He was only there to improve everyone's day, secreted away from his family and friends to give them a little space. But here was Cadance, giving him hell for being different. Could she not see that everything he has done is to ease her pain?

Dragomir turned and started walking away from Cadance, ignoring the rest of her complaining. He finally had enough of her. He was done trying to be nice, and she would find that out the hard way.

Or so she thought. . .

"Hey, I'm talking you!" Cadance ran up behind the Halfling, unaware dark yellow eyes watching her from a dark alley.

Just as Dragomir felt Cadance' hoof wrap around his hand tightly he heard a compressed blast of fire shoot from the alley towards them. He grabbed Cadance' hoof and feinted to the left, dodging what could have been a deadly blow to his head. The fire that licked his skin exploded on contact of an abandoned house, leaving rubble in its place. The source leaped out of the alley with its lava dripping maw wide open, ready to chomp down on the boy.

Dragomir was still midair when the attacker charged, revealing itself to be a familiar face of trouble, but he was experienced enough to handle these kind of situations. Maddened with having a bad day, the half-human prince threw his body into a backflip, and then connected his right foot with the dragon's chin. One side of the dragon's mouth collapsed over its tongue, sending large amounts of pain as the boy landed in the street with Cadance in his arms.

Cadance thrust her gaze up to the teenager as the painfully roaring dragon stomped the ground. She felt surprised, even as he set her down with ease, which had managed to strike her heart in the right way.

"You. . .saved me again," Cadance whispered, realizing how badly she's been mistreating him. She blushed under her mane, but only long enough to have a moment with the glaring prince. "I. . .I. . . Thank you."

Dragomir spat raspberries at her, like the first they met. He watched the black scaled dragon recover and took a defensive stance, before using his hair to shove the princess behind him. Fangs showing, claws drawn, he crouched to cover any opening in his defense and roared at the beast.

"Pretty good, for a little brat," the dragon chuckled. "I was told that you can't even hurt a fully grown dragon, but I guess the rumors are fake."

Dragomir immediately knew it was none other than the Feral Thief, Silver Tongue. He raised his hair and ignited each strands to a deep blue, threatening the dishonorable monster with the reputation and authority of a prince.

Silver Tongue used his deadly claws to rip at a wall, tearing long strips from the structure to frighten the boy. "I'm on a tight schedule, so I'll make this very clear. Just give me that pony princess you have behind your behind, and I won't devour you for kicking my chin."

Stricken with terror, Cadance clutched to Dragomir, and whimpered quietly as the dragons around them gave them distance. It was not part of their nature to leave their prince alone, but he was not one for asking assistance. If anything, the dragons were doing the boy a favor by staying out of the way.

"Come on," Silver Tongue arched a claw repeatedly to the boy, "Give her to me, and we can pretend none of this ever happened."

"Dragomir. . ." Cadance tightened her hold on him, tears streaming as he roared at the dragon. "Don't let him take me!"

 _Don't worry. I won't let anyone touch you._ a male voice said in the alicorn's mind. She gasped and turned to him, wondering if what she just heard was real or not.

"Okay then, I guess we'll have to do this the hard way." Silver Tongue rose to his hind legs, his wings spreading as the boy wrapped his hair around Cadance. "I'LL CORRECT LINEAGE BY WIPING YOU FROM EXISTENCE!"


	9. Two Minds Come Together

Dragomir had never been so scared in his life, but now wasn't the time to let his emotions get the best of him. Silver Tongue just declared a battle for the claiming of Cadance and he was not holding back. When he declared a battle, most would back down and surrender their honor to him, for they knew it was pointless to fight him. He would not fight as an equal. No, Silver Tongue possessed many dirty tricks for winning, and if he couldn't use them to make his mark at those he his enemies, he would use anyone for an advantage.

The boy found himself sprinting through the streets, but he did not have the time to look back see if the dishonorable monster was close or far. He carried Cadance on his back and sent a mental prayer that his mother and father were going to at their rescue any minute from now. Fire shot from across the street and burnt everything it touched, but sentimental objects were not on the boy's mind right now. He was more worried about staying alive.

"You cannot hide from me," Silver Tongue managed to breath through his fire. "I will have that pony as my trophy and you as a smear wiped from the honor of our species!"

"He's getting closer!" Cadance screeched. She hugged Dragomir' chest even tighter, pressing her hooves to his chest while his hands squeezed her flanks, causing her to blush. "Hey, can't you put those things somewhere other than my plot!?"

 _Geez, does this girl ever stop whining!?_ Dragomir mentally yelled. _As cute as she is—given that she's a pony—she's starting to get on my nerves!_

"Well as handsome as you are YOU'RE STARTING TO GET ON MY NERVES!" Cadance screeched, forgetting that her life was in danger, just for a second though.

Dragomir' gaze jumped to the alicorn with sudden shock. He could not believe the reply she gave him. His face remained expressionless, but deep inside, there was a small ripple of unease. He hadn't heard of magical creature responding to his thoughts as though they of the same mind, not in the way his mother and father do so.

He leapt through the open space, already half-human, half-dragon, his mouth smoldered with fire, madness in his magnificent eyes. His hair went ablaze and lashed at the dragon in systematic formation for his eyes. He had one target and he landed squarely on Silver's left eye, driving himself to the nearest alleyway as the beast screeched in agony, his hair whipping and tearing scales at intense speed.

"Damn you!" Silver Tongue crashed into a nearby abode but remained on his feet, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I'll bite you in half for that one. Just wait until I get my claws on you!"

Dragomir' slipped into a dark corner and set Cadance against the wall very gently. He took in deep breaths and sat on the other side of the wall, glaring at the teenager, wondering what kind of pony she is.

 _Can she hear my thoughts?_ he asked softly. _She should not hear my thoughts at all. Then again, mom said that some ponies have a rare link to other creatures._ He shook his head and chuckled. _Can't be. She looks like she's been pampered and spoiled all her life. I doubt she can even guess what I am thinking._

"Okay, you know what, you can go buck yourself for that one!" Cadance yelled aggressively. "And just so you know, I am one of the most talented magic users in Equestria. I am able to make a shield that is impenetrable as long as I stay in control of it."

Dragomir was a boy that cannot be surprised by much, but that definitely shocked him. He gawked, just as Cadance' eyes widened at him for hearing his mind. Rather than come together to figure this out, both teenagers remained as they were, flushed with embarrassment by the last few minutes of their unknown conversation.

 _She can read my thoughts._

 _I can read his thoughts._

Dragomir reached for Cadance as she was drawn into that icy-cold fear of becoming Silver Tongue's trophy. She could hear the monster closing in on their location, and she had nowhere to run or hide. Magic would not do anything, because her magic was not on the same level as her aunt's. If anything, Aunt Celestia was the only pony capable of hurting a dragon, but she is not around.

"I smell you, pony." Silver Tongue rammed the alleyway, breaking most of its stability. "I know you are hiding with that abomination, and it's only delaying the inevitable I have in store for you."

Dragomir grasped her hoof. He felt her shiver, and then the courage he summoned gave her warmth, a blanket of security. She stopped shivering and he felt an idea come to him.

 _Cadance, can you hear my thoughts?_ he asked, receiving a short nod from her. _Okay, as freaky as it is for you to hear me right now, this might work to our advantage._

"Advantage of what!?" she whimpered. "We're trapped in an alley, and that monster is going to get us at any second!"

 _You said you can make an impenetrable shield, right?_

"Yes," she nodded, confusedly. "But what does my shield have to do with surviving?"

Cadance would have received her answer, but the last second of their hiding ended in disaster. The alleyway collapsed around the teenagers, and Dragomir realized the moment he gave her to comprehend that his thoughts can be heard by her became the biggest mistake in his life. He didn't know what to do.

Silver Tongue came crashing down with his fire dripping maw snapping on the boy's hair, his teeth barely grazing skin. Cadance jumped back and screeched in horror as her protector was lifted in the air, screaming in agony of the monster's heated breath cindering some of his wounds.

Whatever fear the princess had grew into pure terror with the scaly beast tossing Dragomir onto the ground as hard as he could. Cadance had been traumatized by his barbaric nature, and it was only getting worse by the minute.

Dragomir' felt his entire body cave into the ground. His body was locked up, the unbearable spasm affecting his ability to recover. He was sick to his stomach and fighting it as the pink alicorn trembled to his side, panicking, her eyes on the brink of flooding.

"Like two mice running from their end," Silver Tongue mused. He heightened the force of his fire-breath and spoke in the language of the Dragons an energy-based spell. "But I have no time for playing with the likes of you. My boss wants her, and he has very little patience."

Cadance helped Dragomir to his feet and held his gushing side. Her stomach lurched at the touch of blood. She feared what would come next. Silver Tongue looked ready. He looked very sure of himself that the game of cat and mouse was already over. "This power won't hurt you, pony, but it will kill your abomination of a coltrfriend in less than a second."

Cadance' eyes jumped to Silver Tongue. She felt the impact of his words. Heavy inevitability pressed into her throbbing heart as the dragon struck. Her eyes narrowed and stood out as the expression she felt just now.

Anger.

"Leave us ALONE!"

There was a sharp hitch in her voice and tears burned in her glare. She surrounded her horn with magic and love, the only thing she could feel that was right to do when she could not fight back.

With one howl of rage, she unleashed a large blue dome made of love magic and stepped in front of her injured ally so that he knew it was he who was being saved now. In one motion of her horn, Cadance expanded the barrier to a quarter of the dragon's size.

The spell went true, straight onto the barrier with enough force to shake her integrity. It hissed and sparked, yet failed to make a crack in the alicorn's spell.

Dragomir heard Cadance' harsh yell, but he did not react negatively since she just saved his butt.

"And he is not my coltfriend. He is not even my friend. Sure he is very cute, BUT HE'S ALSO A PAIN IN MY FLANK!" she said, hoping their misunderstanding would come to an end.

Silver Tongue ceased his attack and watched as the Princess of Love helped Dragomir to his feet by pulling him. "She was able to block my attack, and she is still standing after deflecting that strong of a blow." He scratched his chin in curiosity. "Perhaps these two can pose an actual threat to me."

Dragomir grunted at the Alicorn pushing him to stand, her horn grazing the side of his torso with blood already dripping from the bandages. _Mom never said anything about Alicorns having enough power to block a dragon's fire. Just how strong is she?_

Cadance growled angrily. "Why are you thinking about that when we have bigger problems to worry about!?"

Okay, that was a little harsh, but it was the truth. And right now, she desperately needed him to stay focused on the monster that is in front of them. But she couldn't get him to fully stand, couldn't bring him back into the fight. Although he was using Cadance as leverage, bracing himself as he ignored the pain, his body was starting to betray him again. He could almost hear the flames crackling inside Silver Tongue. The glow in his mouth deepened as their fight worsened.

"No time for playing around, just death!" Silver Tongue unleashed his next breath, cindering the walls around him.

Cadance and Dragomir' moved side by side, glaring at him as they shared a subconscious thought. They barely had time to work together with their magic fixed on the large reptile, or the wave of black fire that missiles its way towards them. Their gazes were drawn straight to the flames shooting downward at their figures.

 _Leave him/ her alone!_

Dragomir took in a deep breath, slamming into the core of his magic as Cadance summoned every ounce of her power, attempting to counter the flames. They came together with bone-shaking force, launching a blue fire and blue magic that merged into a cerulean wave of fire, so hard Silver Tongue's blast was cut in two and he was knocked on his back, allowing themselves enough time to escape.

Both he and Cadance stood there as the walls cindering walls crumbled around Silver Tongue, their eyes meeting as the magnitude of their combined power shook the minds of dragons around them. Shocked and happy, Cadance had the urge to wrap her arms around the half-blood and praise him for being the savage he is. She knew better than to praise herself, although half of the credit went to her.

And so she did hug him without a second thought. She was happy that he was here to help her. "That was bucking awesome. I didn't know magic and fire can be combined like that. We really showed him!"

Dragomir wrapped his arms around her neck and smiled. _You were pretty amazing yourself. I didn't know Alicorns can use that much magic. Wait until mom hears about this, though!_

Cadance slowly removed her hooves from his waist, wiping her hoof across her head to remove the sweat as she blushed, looking up to her bloody comrade. For a few seconds she gawked slightly at his expression and wondered if the monster she sees him as is really who he is on the inside.

He was a brute of a prince, much like dragons, but where Dragomir was rude and cruel he made up with a gentle nature that no dragon can hope to possess. His blush became obvious as they shared an almost intimate moment.

She smiled warmly. "Hey, you're actually smiling." she pointed out, causing the boy to turn crimson. "I haven't seen you smile like that, not at me at least. It's. . .kind of nice to see you smile. It. . .really brings out how handsome you are."

Dragomir did not look away, scratching the back of his head as he grew a swell head from having his first compliment from a girl. _Thank you. You're. . . quite beautiful yourself. And your smile. . .really tells. . .it all._

Dragomir and Cadance stared into their eyes, their stomachs fluttering as the Silver Tongue struggled in the rubble. They saw one another in a different light as teenagers instead of unlucky victims, their blushes burning hotter while the moment lasted.

"I'm sorry," she said genuinely. " It was wrong of me to call you a freak. I don't know how hard it is for you to be the way you are, but I see now that you are not some kind of mindless savage."

 _I'm sorry too, although I merely acted childish while you acted mean._ Dragomir laughed with her on that. _Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot, so why don't we start over and get to know one another?_

Cadance pretended to ponder the idea. She just loved to tease others. "Well. . .seeing as how we're stuck together, I guess we can try to be friends. You did save me from those Gryphons. And it would be cool to find out why you and I can communicate like this."

 _Yes, but you saved me from dying in the desert._ Dragomir chuckled, and then extended his hand to her. _But for starters, I'm Dragomir Williams, but everyone calls me Drag._

Cadance embraced his hand, wholeheartedly. "I think I will just call you. . .Dragy." Cadance giggled. "And I'm Mi Amore Cadenza, but my friends call me Cadance."

 _I think I will just call you Cady or Candy. One of the two._

A cheer of their laughter went up, and the two teenagers found themselves blooming a new friendship with one another. It was the best moment they shared together, the only moment that actually had no hostility or hatred. Dragomir was happy, he had a new friend that is his age and understands him a little, just a little. Cadance was ecstatic to have him as her new friend, although it would be difficult since their from different kingdoms.

But what did it matter to them? Having a new friend was a good start, and neither of them wanted to ruin that moment.

Unfortunately. . .

"You pieces of garbage!" Silver Tongue roared, while blasting the rubble away with a flap of his wings. "I'll kill you both!"

With their moment ruined, Dragomir and Cadance returned to the most important thing at hand: surviving this relentless beast.

 _Cadance, I think now is the time to RUN LIKE HELL!_ Dragomir screamed, as he sprinted with the pink mare.

Cadance ran right beside him, her hooves kicking up as much dirt as his. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT 'RUN LIKE HELL' MEANS, BUT I'LL RACE YOU BACK TO YOUR HOUSE!"

"GET BACK HERE, YOU TWO!"

Both teenagers screamed as they ran from the dragon, darting and whirling through street after street to gain some ground. But already it was too late for the heartless brute behind them. As Silver Tongue shot around the next corner to burn them alive, a large, silver scaled fist collided with his snout and sent him into one of the packs.

The attacker slammed his tail against the ground, preventing Dragomir and Cadance from running anymore. He growled at Silver Tongue as he did so, that menacing, monstrous roar he had not used since the day Megan was taken from him by rogue dragons.

Glass shattered and ears were covered as the silver dragon stared at his enemy with cold, dead eyes that glowed with a kind of wrath that made his subjects quiver.

"Why don't you picking on someone YOUR OWN SIIIIZE!"

"King Erion!?" Cadance gasped.

 _Dad!_ Dragomir yelled with glee.

The tail surrounding both kids extended around them as a protection circle. Erion, as the king he is, prowled over his son and guest with great fury blazing through his mouth. He scowled at Silver Tongue as his wife leapt from the top of his head and landed in front of them.

Glaring furiously, the woman crossed her arms, slipped out of her benevolent nature, and approached. She was no longer in her robes or wearing her crown, but rather in a much more intimidating attire that is only meant for battle. With slow deliberation, Megan frightened her son, allowing the consequences of running out of the castle to fully set in while she focused on their wounds—or just his wounds in this case. Cadance was unharmed, so she had nothing to worry about.

A few of the dragons above the city pitied their prince, for they knew he was in enough trouble as it is. But suddenly, Megan placed her hand on her son's cheek, and the glare she possessed shifted into a sad observation of his bandages bleeding out.

"Why can't you just listen to me?" the kind woman whispered, tears falling down her cheeks. She gently lunged forward and hugged her child, embracing him as though he was just a baby again. "Why must you scare me like this every single day? You should know how much it devastates me to see you like this!"

"Megan, what do you want me to do?" Erion asked, although he already knew the answer to that question.

Megan embraced Cadance as well, pecking both teenagers on their heads. "Thank god, you two are alright." she looked up to her husband, her eyes drenched with tears of fury.

"Erion, he hurt our son," she yelled. "So you better RIP HIS FUCKING HEAD OFF!"

Erion raised his wings and roared at the recovering dragon, challenging him in a fight to the death. "With pleasure, my love."


	10. A Merciless Brother

"Stay on your claws, you coward. I'm not done with you," Erion spat, disengaging with the weakened, now frantic dragon beneath him. "Come on, Silver Tongue. Get up. You're not this weak!"

Erion was bleeding from a dozen wounds, some bone deep. He kept one claw over his belly, where the Dragon King sought to eviscerate him as he was known to do with his enemies. Silver Tongue struggled standing up and swiped the almighty dragon by his arm, a dirty trick at most. Erion roared as his arm and claw gushed, but he ignored it in the end. He dismissed the pain, swinging around to face the cowardly dragon as five of the buildings around them crashed. The dust blinded them both.

"Tell me, brother; do you really consider that abomination to be your son?" Silver Tongue asked in a mock tone, grinning from ear to ear as he circled the worried king. "Is the half-blood so important to you that you will toss aside your hatred for ponies for his sake?"

"Do no patronize me about hatred!" Erion screamed, swinging viciously where he heard his brother. Silver Tongue chuckled, knowing he got under the elder's scales.

"So he is that important to you," he said, though with more sarcasm than given by his credibility. "You care—No, you love that abomination so much you're willing to toss aside your hatred for ponies. Have you forgotten that the pink one is our sworn enemy? Have you forgotten that it was the alicorns that slayed half of our kind?"

"We sought to overthrow the princesses and sell them like cattle." Erion pointed out, reminding the monster of their reason. "You and I were just hatchlings, but our mother and father enslaved hundreds of ponies. It was only a matter of time before we found ourselves dying at the hooves of Celestia and Luna."

"And you are willing to forgive them, as they are willing to forgive us. But here is some insight—the alicorn you are protecting has a special bond with your son. They share the same connection you and your disgusting wife have. And what is worse is that pink pony you have in the castle is Celestia's niece."

Erion didn't answer. He'd lost fat too much of his conscience and was growing animalistic fast, but he refused to allow himself to slide into savagery. He gripped his mind and tried to tune himself to Silver Tongue's footsteps to find and kill him.

He was fast too. Far faster than Silver Tongue had ever anticipated, even when he'd been warned about his brother's godly power and abilities. There was no possible way to determine when the dust would clear. More than anything he wanted to watch the deadly dragon bleed his royal blood, but he could not feel and heat or magic rising from Erion. He found himself alone in the shadows of the dust cloud, anticipating the moves of his enemy, being guided by instinct rather than his senses as he tried watch all four corners of his surroundings.

Erion's moves, however, were entirely unpredictable.

"Silence will not help you, little brother!" Silver Tongue laughed, breathing fire in every direction. "I will find you and kill you. And when I do, I'll be sure to snack on your son and breed your wife. Don't worry though, I'll be as gentle as possible!"

Without warning, two claws erupted through the dust at Silver Tongues shoulders. Erion thrust his blood dripping maw into the throat of his older brother, sidestepping slightly for the tip of his tail to curl and pierce its mark. The second roar of his brother was much weaker and he snapped his teeth shut, still half in the dust. Erion somehow sensed the arrogant beast before bursting from the shadows.

Silver Tongue tried to swear through his hollow breath, but the remaining chunk of his jugular was ripped clean from his throat as the tip of Erion's tail pierced his heart from behind. His body tightened as the Dragon King began to back away steadily, there was a shift in their minds, a clear telepathic message of triumph and defeat.

 _You dirty. . . little. . ._ Silver Tongue wheezed, losing consciousness as fast he lost his balance. _How dare you. . .bite me. . ._

 _I knew she was the niece of Celestia, but I will not hate her for what Celestia and Luna did to punish us. What happens between her and my son is a destiny I will not stop._ Erion replied grimly, growling at his dying brother. _You were never worthy of the crown, nor to be part of my family. Your heart is just like mother's and father's. Cold. Black. Empty._

 _I. . . hate you._

 _I know you do,_ Erion raised a claw over his older brother's head, aiming directly at the temple of his skull. _And that is why you were bound to be alone._

 _What are you—_

 _Farewell. . . brother._

Silver Tongue realized what was coming and did his best to scream, but the weight of Erion's claw came crashing down on him in powerful blow. His skull broke, crunching and snapping repeatedly, and all life remaining in his body was destroyed.

"I should get back to the castle and check on Cadance and Dragomir," the Dragon Kind said to himself, smearing the blood and bone underneath his claw across the ground. "They were already injured to begin with."

* * *

Deep in the heart of the castle, Cadance and Dragomir stumbled into the throne room and was instantly surrounded by the guards. What pushed them so hard just now? Looking back to the culprit, they gazed at the woman glaring down at them so that they could see just how angry she was. They stood quietly, listening to the sound of Megan cursing beneath her breath. Everything seemed wrong with this scenario. The situation. The sound. The movement this woman made. Cadance had this odd feeling in her stomach that something else is going to happen.

Beside her, Dragomir stood quietly, his head low, one arm around the other while his leg was angled in a weird fashion. It was like he had done worse to himself than those gryphons did. He was like the fierce bear Cadance considered him to be, deadly one moment and a big wimp the next. He tried to run a hand over her mane, but she stepped away and shook her head.

"I'm fine," she whispered, glaring at him. "But if we are about to get in trouble, I blame you."

Hearing her, he stiffened, the relaxation of safety draining from his body. He looked like he had been betrayed, a being with so little to look forward too, one caught up in a conflict of trusting anyone but himself ever again. He rubbed his hand over his bloody eye, and then he begrudgingly looked away with the pads of his fingers streaking blood, huffing away from the traitorous princess.

Megan stopped moving, her eyes suddenly hardening, showing that anger. She scowled at her son, a dark, frightening scowl that stole his breath and pushed fear and worry into his mangled body.

"I don't know if I should have you chained or locked away in a dungeon. I told you not to leave the castle!"

The queen's anger was at its heaviest and yet she to stay her fury. Dragomir found he was losing control in his legs as she hurried along. At first he'd been afraid, standing like a marionette with no one jerking the strings to his arms and legs. Blood seemed to cease flowing through his body, and he found his mother could easily show him the true meaning of terror. After she paced around them, the prickly sensation on his back was more annoying and troublesome and not so easy to manage. Megan picked up these signs as every ounce of her divine power radiated, but in deference to her son's condition, she wasn't acting on impulse. Her long stride kept the boy at his toes while the room went quiet.

"Your father will have to clean up your mess again. He'll probably have to fund a few houses for some of the victims."

"But we were attacked first," Cadance intervened, though with a little more authority in her tone, more than what she is able to muster in her young life as a princess. "That stupid dragon came after me and your son did his best to protect me, just like he did when those Gryphons almost raped me. He was only doing what was right."

Dragomir, though a little irked by her previous statement, gazed longingly at her. He found his heart swelling with pride and respect. There should be no more surprises with this strange girl, yet she astonished him by speaking in his defense. He wasn't sure if this was her way of easing the punishment to come or to make it worse. She had already pinned the blame on him, so why defend him now?

"He disobeyed you and that is understandable, but you cannot be angry at your son for unknown circumstances. That monster came out of nowhere and threatened to kill him and take me."

"But he did not listen to me, and now my subjects, my citizens, are enduring a terrible brawl between that bastard and their king. None of this wouldn't have happened if Dragomir stayed put in the castle." Megan pointed out in a dark tone. Every breath she drew was more difficult than the last, and she had to prevent herself from losing control with this young princess. Her mind was shot. She needed to let go of her stress, but this pink pony was making it more difficult.

Megan stayed as calm as she could, but deep inside, she coiled, on the verge of exploding and more than willing to act like the bad guy to protect them. She might be human, but there was no mistaking the power she keeps chained inside. Megan held her breath as the pink princess stepped back to Dragomir' side. She moved first to nuzzle his side and then glare at the furious woman rubbing her temples. Was she trying to relieve herself of the stress?

The magic surrounding the queen was thick enough that the guards around them avoided breathing it in, and they were not sure of the thin strips of forest green floating around her.

Megan allowed her powers free rein through expression. Being a woman with certain magic gave her all the gifts of a goddess as any immortal. As the silence went on, her power evolved even more. She was already pressuring the guards of the mixed emotions , and she had excellent control and a sense of the danger she created with one hand.

The roar of her fire, the burning divinity and motherhood permeated through her aura. The Dragon guards continued to observe her in an effort to see what she would do to her son. They could not abandon their posts, but they were clearly worried for the boy.

"I just don't know what to do with you anymore," she exasperated, groaning and dragging her hands through her hair. "I try my best to be understanding and lenient, but you continue to disobey me and bring trouble with you. No matter what I say or do, you just have to go out there and fuck things up for this family."

Cadance stiffened, unsure of the word 'fuck' yet certain that Megan used it to hurt Dragomir. It was all over his face that he was struck hard with guilt and regret as the woman continued ranting.

"Is it really so hard to listen to me, huh!?" the queen snapped, acting on her anger with a startling strike to the boy's cheek. Dragomir jerked to the left, surprised as much as the dragons and alicorn. He'd never been hit by his mother. "Is there any part of your brain that carries a conscience, or did all that work in saving you turn your mind into a dragon? Is there anything in that head of yours that knows right and wrong, or did you cease thinking and act like an animal?"

A sense of grief swept through Dragomir and Cadance. He wasn't anywhere near ready to hear all of this and he doubted if he could endure it. He rubbed the burning sting across his cheek, staring down at the floor as his hair became a dull blue. Cadance gasped and began to wonder if said color meant sadness or depression. Either way, she was not liking how Dragomir suddenly lost all of his spirit and vigor. The young prince wanted to get away without any of them realizing he was gone until it was too late, but Megan went on by slapping him a second time with the backside of her hand.

"Tell me your reason for leaving the castle," Megan said sarcastically. She ignored the wide slice across his cheek, although blood was dripping from the wound. "Oh wait, I forgot that my only son cannot speak. He is a defiant, impulsive mute prince that cannot think before he acts because he is more dragon than human. I wish I was wrong, but miracles rarely happen. You know, this is why your father and I sometimes wonder why you were even saved!"

Dragomir' body had settled again, but not in the best way possible. Around him the world seemed to sink so that his body was partially in the soil of his depression. He could see that his mother had hatred in her eyes, but even as he watched, Cadance pushed away the fear and dragged herself to the courage she needed.

Watching the boy's eyes widen and his body slightly shake, Cadance heart swelled with anger and respect. She had some reason to blame Dragomir for everything that is happening right now, but this was going too far. Queen or not, a mother should never strike her own child and speak ill of his existence. He might be young and arrogant, but he was still a teenager wanting freedom and a child that needs to be led in the right direction. He could have been grounded in some way to keep him inside the castle. No would have the trouble of at least taking away his magic, but to hit him. . .

Cadance was clearly furious with the queen as the despairing prince did everything in his power not to react on his unbearable instincts, but he had so little knowledge of his dragon instincts and now had to fight them with what little conscience he had.

Magic poured into the Princess of Love. She wasn't going to let the boy who saved her twice in less than a week take this sort of punishment. He did not deserve to be hit. If he wasn't going to stand up for himself and try to make his mother see her wrongdoing, then she was going too, even if it meant taking some of the blame. Of course there was that thought, but he did not deserve to be blamed either, not by her, not by his family, not by anyone!

From how low Dragomir' head was, he could not get a good look at the pink alicorn, but Cadance worked acted swiftly. She saw the exact moment when Megan raised her hand a third time and stepped between them. She raised her shield as fast as the woman's hand came down and enlarged it.

"Back off!" Cadance screeched, her shield jolting the surprised queen as the guards watched in astonishment. No one had ever defied the Queen of The Dragons. No one.

Megan grasped her hand tightly and hissed her breaths as the jolt left her. "You little shit, how dare you!?" she yelled in a deep tone, but Cadance would have none of it. She stood her ground as the woman approached the shield, though with precaution this time. "You do not get in my fucking way when I am teaching my son a hard lesson about respecting his parents!"

"Yeah, well I don't remember any lesson involving a slap or hurtful words like the ones you said!" Cadance barked, though with a bit more fear in her tone. "What the buck is your problem!? Dragomir is at fault for leaving this castle, but blaming for the fight that is happening outside is wrong!"

Cadance and Megan exchanged a long look. Megan grit her teeth. "This is none of your concern, nor involved with you. Now lower the shield and remember your place. In case you have not noticed, you're here because of my generosity. So I suggest you step aside and let me finish!"

"And let you draw more blood, I don't think so!" the Princess of Love exasperated, increasing the size of her bubble. "I may not be as strong as you, but I will not let you hurt him again. He does not deserve to be hated or punished for that monster fighting your husband!"

Megan went to signal her guards to remove Cadance from the room when suddenly the blood on her son's cheek and the young princess' words struck home. The guards could not feel her magic and grew worried for her as the shaky prince clenched his teeth. He shifted in the emotion of sorrow, sending small signals of it through his violent power. He unknowingly released orbs of blue and fought crying as the queen returned to reality.

Megan took another breath, fighting back the emotions that threatened to dishonor her.

"I. . .I didn't mean to—" Whatever she had to say was broken off by Dragomir sprinting towards the one place no one can reach him. His bedroom. He shed his restraints fact, becoming a blur in the eyes of his mother, the guards, and the Princess of Love, a gust that blew that them and rushed down the hall after his breakdown. He knew he screw up, but it was not fair for him to stay locked up in the castle all the time.

"Dragomir!" Megan yelled, but he was already gone and she was left to deal with the pink alicorn before her.

Cadance glared at the queen, something the guards found to be quite foolish. "I've not had a mother in a very long time, but I know one thing: A mother never hurts her colt."


	11. A Strange Friend

The afternoon was well underway in the Dragon Kingdom, repairs already being made.

The halls were crowded with dragons of all shapes, sizes, and majestic colors. Guards pushing past one another with gold from the treasure room stored in satchels as they make their way into the crowded throne room. Rising above all this stress, the deafening worry of their injured prince: doctors begging for him to open the doors, his personal guards talking to him about his actions being normal, the queen requesting that he lets her inside, and Princess Cadance standing on the other side of the hall, watching their efforts prove useless.

Citizens raged together as they went about overloading the secretary with demands for repairs and compensation for all the damages. Pushing past one another to the front, forgetting that some were without a home or food.

Ember Dust was the unlucky dragoness, traipsing through dragon after dragon in the middle of the crowd. Her bright orange eyes darted about, looking for the queen.

The hours had not been kind to her. Exhausted and worried of her own family and stretched to the point of violence, she seemed liable to grab one of selfish fools by their throat and rip out their jugular. She tended to shy away from everything but her family and her majesties, but to Tartarus with all of this—if she was not going to have a break sometime soon, she was going to snap from not seeing her husband and hatchlings. She has a life too, dammit!

Speaking of snapping, here was another dragoness. An injured one. One of the very few she likes to accommodate any trouble that comes her way, posh yet very kind. She was carrying her hatchling on the top of her head.

Ember Dust opened her options to the old dragon with a smile. "How fares our duchess and her little rascal?"

The injured mother took one quick look at her and smiled. "We've been better, my old friend. His majesty has already killed the rogue and took his jewels as victory, but I am afraid he destroyed the main columns of my home while ripping his treasure from Silver Tongues belly."

"He carried his treasure with, while pursuing the prince and pony princess?"

"HE WAS AFTER THE PRINCE!" she roared, drawing all attention to herself. "THAT LOWLIFE, TRAITOROUS, SON OF A BITCH TRIED TO HURT LITTLE DRAGOMIR! If I knew of this sooner, my claws would be ripping his heart out as he said one word—MERCY! It serves him right to have his body tossed into the desert for the sandworms!"

Right on cue, a few hatchlings that were at the playground at the time snuck through the crowd and crawled onto Ember's claw. One was brave to nip her scales. "Miss Dust, did the bad dragon hurt Mister Dragy?"

"He is injured, but it is nothing that will stop him. His majesty is recovering in his room as we speak." Ember gave the hatchlings a warm smile before turning her fiery eyes back to the duchess. "Now then, tell me the extent of your damages before this crowd goes into another uproar," she raised her gaze towards the other victims. "And the same goes for all of you, SO LINE UP, SHUT UP, AND WAIT YOUR TURN!"

"Now hold on Ember, we were—"

"See here, my old friend. You're the first to not scream or roar at me the minute you walk inside the castle, so please, do not test my patience. I'm tired, I have not eaten all day, and I have yet to see my sons or my husband. I'm running on smoke, so please do not waste anymore of my time."

"I can see that." the Duchess sighed. "Alright then. Cera's wing was broken during King Erion's fight with his brother. Some of the rubble fell on her, and our house is completely gone."

"I'm sorry that happened." Ember said with a bow before pointing to west corridor. "Go down this hall and ask for her majesty to have a look at the poor dear. She will know what to do. After that, head three doors down and take the fourth one on your left. There, you will meet with our financial manager."

"Thank you. I hope your position does not stress you too much."

And the next dragon came along; and oh boy, was Ember Dust in for a long shift.

Meanwhile, at the doors of Dragomir' bedroom stood Megan with her hands pressed against the engraved steel, frightened and worried. Her godlike magic had failed her a seventh time in breaking the seals Dragomir activated on the inside. The elegant walls and trimmings of black and gold sparked behind a blue barrier. As the last spell attempted to slip through the crevices, her husband's gift to their son protected him from any intruders. It whined and shone to her and doctors, a brilliant caliber of magic for his respect of his son's privacy.

The last spark bounced off her skin and died midair. It was useless of her to try.

Then the doctors, those who were born half their size, came to an agreement, nodding that the prince was not going to leave his room under any circumstance. The boy was like his father, stubborn; and it was to the dragons without a shred a doubt that he was hurt and possibly heartbroken by his mother's actions.

The sobs of her majesty came to Cadance, shaking off her worry about the city and it's inhabitants. The queen whimpered and dragged her hands up and down the doors. The barrier sensed her but did not retaliate as she rest her head against it. And sadly—

"Dragomir, I did not mean any of those things I said. I was just angry and scared for your safety."

The toll of her son's pain rose above her care for her subjects. Above the sound of others passing by and whispering about her mistake. And especially above the boy's roaring tirade. Megan could hear him scream and toss objects across the room. Glass shattered every so often, but that did not worry the doctors. His skin was not weak enough to have a shard draw blood and the room was enchanted to repair itself.

Cadance was starting to wonder if the prince was perhaps acting childish as the doctors drew their attention to her.

"That's the pony he saved from a bunch of gryphons."

"Was it really worth all this trouble to save her?"

"I heard she saved him too. Apparently the gryphons had poisoned weapons."

"For a pony, she is adorable. But I seriously doubt the prince would go through the trouble of helping her."

"She appears to be weak."

"I hope the prince is not falling for her."

Cadance was quickly cracking under the pressure. 'Savages' her aunt called them. Every day was more of the same with noble after noble offering their son as a potential suitor. Ignore the expectations of others, politely reject them, and wonder if you are going to find that special somepony. Then wait for your auntie to come into your room and lecture about becoming the best princess you can be.

But having all these eyes stare down at you as thought you're a disgusting bug, it was too much for her to handle.

With a fast recall of the situation, Cadance cast her thoughts and worries to the prince. She stepped between the large beasts and sided with the sobbing queen on her knees. Her hoof was the first to touch Megan's shoulder as the noise died, leaving everyone to wonder if Dragomir exhausted his emotions or hurt himself. She was not prepared to forgive the queen for what she saw in the throne room, but it was a princess' duty to help others. Plus he was the closest thing to a comfort zone.

"Let me see if I can get him to calm down."

Defeat flashed on the woman's face before she nodded slowly. She did not trust the pink alicorn at all—not even to hold on a single gold coin—but she was out of options and so desperate to see her child. She no longer cared about his inability to follow a single demand, nor his constant defiance when he is forbidden to leave the castle. The only thing that mattered to Megan was holding her child and telling how sorry she was. He was not like most children. He was special. With two minds as one—dragon and human—he was fragile, and she may very well have broken his heart.

That is what scared her the most.

"I do not trust you to help me, but Dragomir' is obviously going to ignore me." Megan stood up and dried her tears, although the redness was easy for others to tell that she's been crying. Still, what did it matter to her if her subjects see a little weakness? "Just make sure that he comes to see me, or he will let me talk to him."

Cadance nodded.

This was nothing new to her. It was what she was born to do. Fixing relationships between others using her words or her magic to bring them closer, being the mediator of the situation. What would she do if she was not doing her duty?

A small smile and the queen was on her way to help Ember Dust, though with a bit of reluctance in each step. Everyone could see from the clenching of her fists how spiteful she was of this. She was a mother though, a mother that caused her child great pain and was scared shitless of her son having hatred for her.

Cadance waited until Megan walked around the corner before composing herself. Her figure was disheveled with dirt and a few cuts, but it was nothing serious and a good advantage. The kind of advantage that comes with the boy seeing she is in the same condition as him and believing that she knows how he feels.

Her best smile was put on, though with effort since today's incident exhausted her.

It was a NIGHTMARE! She never dreamed of having her life almost taken by a dragon! But, to say the least, she had Dragomir there to keep her safe. And they did pretty good as a team. There was some good out of it. She had to be thankful for his care. She had to try and give him the same thing in return. He was kind of cute in his own way; especially when it comes to that peaceful obliviousness of his.

 _Here goes nothing. . ._

She knocked on the door as hard as she could, seeing as how that's what you have to do since it is triple the size of the doors at home. "Dragomir, it's Cadance. Do you think you could let me in so we can talk? It's just me and no one else. Your mom has already left."

Given that the prince did not have a voice in the first place, Cadance was under the impression that she will have to wait for him to open the door now or later. It made her feel silly, she did not know if he was approaching the door or going to roar from the other side. He was not connecting with her like they did in the city and she had no idea how to use her magic for telepathy. She was not that far in the advanced level of alicorn magic.

Cadance waited for a solid minute before knocking on the door again. "Look, I know you're hurt and mad at your mom but you cannot stay in there forever. Your mom is so scared that you might hate her, and it's driving her crazy. You have every right to be mad, but don't let it ruin things between you and her." She pressed a hoof to her chest, remembrance in her eyes. "Trust me, you do not want anger to ruin something special you have with your family."

That seemed to have broken through, because the young princess heard the door click. Funny. She'd planned on telling him a little about herself before he was convinced to let her inside. Guess there really is something between the two.

The door did not open, but Cadance realized the locks were gone and the barrier was down. She was not entirely sure if it was a good idea to enter his bedroom. For all she knew, there could be a huge mess or he was waiting to take his anger out on her. She had been rather nasty throughout her stay.

Carefully, she turned the doorknob and used her magic to give it a big push. Thank goodness she did, for the door was so much heavier than she realized. It was like pushing a boulder up a hill by herself. She was surprised to see nothing in the room, not even the prince. There was pitch-black darkness swarming every inch of the room as she entered, but she had her ears tuned the heavy breathing to her left.

"Can't see a thing," she told herself whilst shutting the door. Now she really was blind, until her horn lit up the room and she found herself standing in a very clean room.

Clean, but that can't be right. For the last two hours she heard objects breaking in this room and glass shattering. There was no faking every sound she heard on the other side of those doors, so where was the mess?

Cadance tilted her head. She readied her magic as if she could defend herself from what may a trap or trick. "I know I'm not losing my mind, but makes no sense. Why is everything so clean?"

The Princess of Love continued to think hard and stay on her hooves before she found what she was looking for in the beginning. It did not take her long to find the upset prince licking his wounds, or to be precise, the wounds he received already. The bandages were ripped off. She would have taken extreme notice of this if it were not for what he was sitting on beside his bed. The very thing that most fools spend their lives searching for.

"Holy buck!" Cadance exclaimed, her eyes reflecting many of the colors. "Where in the hay did you get that big pile of treasure?"

Pile was a serious understatement compared to the boy's loot. It was not a pile that rests under his butt; this was a small hill of gold, jewels, and treasures that she could not pronounce without sputtering from shock.

Dragomir' gaze was steady on the princess as she kept her distance, though with so much effort it made her quiver. _I've been building this horde since I was five. From my allowance to all the caves I searched, I've been saving it."_

Silence took hold in the bedroom. Cadance looked up from the treasure to her depressed companion, feathers falling to the floor from her uncontrollable ruffling. Dragomir rose to his knees as gold coins slid down the horde and stopped at her hooves. The flickering reflection of each piece made her heart thunder with excitement.

Dragomir coughed, and the young princess snapped from her stupor. "What kind of allowance do you get?" she asked in a mature tone, though it was not helping her since he already knows the kind of pony she is.

He chuckled at her, adoring the sudden change of her attitude. It was very cute. _If I do my chores and stay out of trouble, I get a thousand gold pieces every week and a handful of jewels._

"A thousand a week!?" Cadance exaggerated, her eyes wide with astonishment. "That's four thousand gold pieces a month. That's more than what Filthy Rich receives in his business!"

 _Many traders come through all of the time. Dad does business with other kingdoms and scouts with some guards every evening. Plus there is gold refinery near the supermarket that my mom owns. A lot of gold and jewels are either found or traded throughout the month._

Cadance stopped, still gawking up to the prince, at his depressed and lonely expression. She was not what to say after seeing all of this. If anything it would be that she is jealous of him, but that would not be the best way to portray what is in her perspective. Sure, she gets makes fifty bits every time she foalsits and receives two hundred from her aunt, but to get an allowance of a thousand with some jewels was overboard. It was not right. It wasn't fair. She wanted a huge allowance too!

Dragomir sighed deeply and turned away from the mare, resting on his side whilst licking the wound on his right arm. He had forgotten to tend to that laceration and regretted it. Blood was coming close to the gold, but he was fast.

 _Listen, I don't know what your problem is with me but it isn't fair to treat me like shit._ He looked over his shoulder to the princess, after scooting into a more comfortable position. _It is not cool that you're treating me like I'm a stupid animal that needs to be locked away or put down. I may be half-dragon, but I'm not cold and greedy like them. I do have feelings like a human, and all you have done is stomp on them._

Cadance went to retort in a very unladylike manner, but his words were more true than she is to herself. She could understand what Dragomir was trying to get at, although it was not the best of terms and a serious blow to her pride. But it was enough to make the princess look down at her reflection in the gold. She was ashamed of herself as a princess, and most importantly. . . as a friend.

'Friend', she'd thought. Yes, a friend is what he is to her, and the first real friend she's had. He was not somepony who came into her life through a series of planned events. He was not bound to meet her by being the brother of the filly she must foalsit. He was not a suitor, nor a random pony that pushed her into friendship. He was a prince that was very lucky to find her in the desert; and instead of hitting on her or asking for a date or courtship, he had pushed her aside for the sake of hatchlings.

Yes, he cared about others. He did not care about knowing her. He only did what was right.

 _You've called me a freak and treated me like a monster this entire time, and I have done nothing to deserve that._ the Dragon Prince continued, though in a very frustrated tone. _You even humiliated me in front of everyone when I was keeping the hatchlings some company. You questioned my integrity as a sitter and made me look like a fool before that bastard, Silver Tongue, attacked us. And when my mother took us back to the castle, you blamed me._

Cadance believed every word; it did not take much effort to do so. He was completely right about her actions towards him. There was more hatred than gratitude and care for the prince, and she had no excuse for it.

What, those gryphons foalnapped her and now his "supposed" master for saving him in return; that was not going to excuse her cruel behavior towards the boy.

And now—she can only assume that he is either miserable or depressed every time she comes near him. It would serve her right if he hates her or wants to be as far away from her as possible. She deserves it for being such a snobby brat to him.

But why did that matter to her?

Why did it hurt her to be hated by him?

Was there something connecting them?

Could he. . .

Cadance, her heart grieving and her mind an assortment of assumptions to the situation, unfolded her wings, ascending to top of Dragomir' treasure pile. The silence between them now became just a little heavy for her; had it not been for her fear of hurting her savior, the only conversation they would have is about themselves.

She had caused enough trouble for him.

Landing in front of him so their eyes could meet, she lie down next to him. Of course, she had to shuffle and scoot around to a nice spot that is not digging into her stomach.

Draping a wing over her fellow teen, she took her time to apologize, to show how grateful she is for everything he's done for her. It was not the best thing in the world since it made her blush as strongly as him, but it was always better than nothing.

Fur touching skin.

Soft.

A heartbeat that matches hers.

Surprising.

Her lips pressed against his cheek.

Mesmerizing.

She had never kissed a boy before, not even on the cheek. It was truly relaxing to see him turn red and feel how good it was to do that, even when her conscience says she does not deserve too. It was only now that she felt a strange connection with the prince. Said connection was nerve-racking yet still very good. She almost did not want to stop this small kiss. But she knew that it must be just as weird to him as it is for her, even if it was a small kiss.

From now on, she had to look at _him_ in a different perspective.

Every day, she had to know that the savage is not at all a beast, but a teenager that wants to be understood, just like her.

And starting today, she would have to hold onto this friendship they made together.

One wrong move.

One mistake.

Gone.

But Cadance stopped thinking about that and focused on the matter at hoof. Her first real friend having the worst week in his life.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, though in things and humiliating you in front of your subjects. I've never been so cruel, but that does not excuse anything."

 _It's fine. I'm used to it._ he said to her, even giving off his toothy grin.

A sad one, but grin nonetheless.

Cadance shook her head and hugged the boy, making sure he knew she was in disagreement. Once he saw that, looked away and toyed with a ruby.

"No, it's not fine at all—" she hooked her wing around his shoulder, and then forced him to roll over and look at her. "You saved me from those griffons and protected me from that dragon."

 _You saved me a well._

"Whatever," she scoffed. "The point is I have been a total mule to you when I should be grateful. But instead of being your friend through all of this, I've been a selfish, inconsiderate pony; and you don't deserve that."

Dragomir felt silent for the first time. This apology and gratitude came to him as a shock. Since they had come back to his home, he had been biting his tongue at every insult this pony has thrown at him.

But now she was sorry?

The reality was almost too much.

He and Cadance were not despising one another or forcing themselves to work together. This strange behavior was her main objective, and it made him nervous.

Before he could say another word, Cadance mentioned that he is an eye catcher with the obliviousness and silence, although it is still a little weird with the claws and fangs hanging out. Still, she understood that his extra features are there to stay. She even stated that he was adorable with how he played with the hatchlings.

It was not much to go by, but it did give him a little more confidence in his person.

Cadance giggled to fight the blush she gained a second time from his blank stare. "That is what I mean," she pointed out. "You need to keep doing that; it makes you look so much cuter."

Dragomir laughed a little. _But not as cute as you._

The laughter died as soon as she realized what he just said. At first, Cadance motioned herself to look outside, but as soon as that cheek came into range, she felt something moist glide up her fur. She was not familiar with this sensation, and before she could ask, another spot on her cheek was glistened.

Almost instantly, Cadance' wings sprung, her fluster even greater. Even Dragomir was expressing how embarrassed he was through the color of his hair. It was pink, but not just any pink—it was the pink that is her fur, which also represents various emotions.

Infatuation, Love, and most of all. . . Affection.

 _S-sorry about that! It-It's how some servants show affection to their masters._

Cadance was the one to heat up from all the embarrassment. She did not have to ask about the feelings he has for her. She could feel them, and, Sweet Celestia, were they strong. If it wasn't for the blood rushing to her head, Cadance might have been clear on the fact of him having feelings for her.

That's where she had to say to herself, _That made me feel so uncomfortable, but he is pretty cute if you look past the fangs._ She looked up to him, and then back down to the gold. _Could I like him as a friend. . . or more?_

She thought very hard about that question. _No way. We're so different and our kingdoms are not allied. But, then again, he called me cute and licked me; and that's way better than what any suitor has done to me. But he is sweet and. . .OH THIS IS SO STUPID AND FRUSTRATING. HE'S NOT EVEN A PONY. . ._ That part got to her. _Yeah, he's not a pony and I barely know him. . . But. . ._

 _Cadance?_ Dragomir tapped her neck. _Are you alright?_

Before he could press another claw against her fur, the Princess of Love glared, confused by her own emotions, and scooted away.

"Look," she said with her head high, blushing. "We got off on the wrong hoof, so we're going to start over. For now, you and I are friends. And since I'm going to be stuck in this castle for a little while, you can show me around."

 _Um. . . okay._ He tilted his head, making it worse for her.

 _WHY MUST THAT BE SO ADORABLE OF HIM!?_


	12. Some Truth

"Do you think it would be fine if we have somepony make us something to eat?" Cadance asked as she borrowed a brush from Dragomir' desk to remove a few knots. She looked through the reflection to see her new friend exiting the changing curtain with a brand new pair of shorts and oddly shaped hoof warmers. Sadly she was oblivious to them being shoes.

Dragomir' glared at the alicorn and snorted puffs of blue fire. _Did you really just ask if we can have someone make us food?_ he asked in a bemused tone, making her blush and giggle. _You must have been hit over the head by all the debris._

"Well I forgot, okay. We were chased throughout a city by a crazy dragon." She sneered.

Dragomir frowned at the princess. Cadance was incredibly smart and even if she didn't know it, he knew that there was more to her than most would know. Still, it was pretty stupid of her to forget that she can special order some food. He'd been known to forget a bunch of things and mess up from time to time, but forgetting your own nobility was not part of the list.

He had felt the princess' eyes focused on him, so strongly he was curious as to what she was looking at. Right there, in the cast of his reflection he sometimes despised to see, with that flash of embarrassment across her cheeks. She had followed that physique unerringly despite the obvious rudeness. Over the two minutes of silence, the extremely strange connection between them had grown a little stronger, and they found one another not as distant, almost closer than most should be within a few days. If this was how friends share an awkward moment, Dragomir' was assuming, why did his chest feel tight? It didn't make sense—and he should have figured that out already.

 _You're staring at me way too much,"_ Dragomir' said, proving he was so tuned to her stare that he could practically read her body language.

"I just don't get how you're so fit," Cadance said, spinning in the chair to face him. "You look so small compared to a body builder, but your muscles are almost bulging. Is that how your kind look like?"

 _I really don't know if humans are as fit as me. I just move all over the place and lift weights with the teenage dragons at school._ Dragomir' winked at her.

"Seriously, there is not a pony I know that is as muscular as you. Call me crazy, but seeing your muscles like that makes me worry that you have some kind of growth problem."

 _Perhaps it's because I'm half-dragon,_ he ventured.

She nodded, though with some apprehension. "I was thinking that as well, but being half-dragon should show more than claws, fangs and breathing fire. You should be more like a dragon than whatever your other half is."

 _First off, the other half of my blood is human. And secondly, your stereotyping me as someone that should look more monstrous._ He pointed out, the tone of his voice telling Cadance that he felt insulted. She was quick to apologize for her inconsideration, but Dragomir' was already out the door and heading to the kitchen without her. As rude as it may have been, Cadance knew she deserved the cold shoulder.

She darted out of his bedroom, sliding across the glossy floor and calling out to him to wait up. To her dismay, he ignored her and continued down the hall as she gained her footing. Sadly, what the pink princess had forgotten was Megan's request to have her bring Dragomir' to her for a proper talk.

She sighed deeply as her 'friend' led her through the corridor. _This is going to be a very long stay._

* * *

Royal Kitchen

 _Hope you're ready,_ Dragomir' warned the alicorn, before pushing the doors open.

Cadence nodded, content to stand behind her caretaker and listen to him making the requests. The continual chime of knives seemed to be the most relaxing part of her day. She expected to come across multiple dragons sharing little space to cook, but her expectations were wrong. Opening her eyes when she did not hear booming voices, the Princess of Love met with a crowd or normal, non-dragon creatures running back and forth with meat and vegetables in their claws and. . . hands.

Like the rest of the castle, the kitchen was massive and decorated excellently with shelves that could be mistaken for skyscrapers. So many different creatures came into her eye as she walked beside the prince, curling her wing around his arm tightly. Gryphons fluttered overhead and flitted from one shelf to the next with valuable ingredients. Some of which were too strange to describe. Centaurs scampered with silverware and Minotaurs carried fresh vegetation into a house-sized cauldron. This place was more alive than the kitchen in Equestria.

"This place is huge," she said in astonishment. She was forced by the young prince to lower her head at the last second as a Gryphon dove in with a large jar of cinnamon in his grasp.

She turned her head to watch as Dragomir approached the panting Gryphon. This kitchen had more predators than she had seen in her entire life, and although she had Dragomir with her, she was not prepared to meet another Gryphon. She gasped as said Gryphon spun towards her protector with a powerful glare for him. She remained behind him, thinking about her only means of defense, should this stranger try anything. If he was anything like the ones that foalnapped her and he did not have a care about royalty, it was up to her to make a dome to provide a safe barrier for herself. Dragomir could handle himself, she was certain of.

Dragomir strode over to the glaring Gryphon, wearing a smile as the entire staff watched without taking a break. _Don't worry about Legasi. He's just a big softie that like to scare others._ He already slipped his arm out of Cadance' wing and curled it around her neck, comforting her. _Just don't stare at his left eye and you'll be fine._

"That's easy for you to say, but you were not the one who was foalnapped by Gryphons. I'm bucking terrified right now." Cadance admitted. She had to lean against Dragomir to feel safe around this cook. "I just want to get something to eat and go elsewhere before anypony decides to do something crazy." She looked up to him, frowning. "I can't handle another Gryphon wanting to tie me up and try to rape me."

 _You're stereotyping again, and you're being paranoid._ Dragomir chuckled lightly at her worry, feeling that her paranoia was adorable. _Besides, Legasi is the nicest guy you will ever meet. He even hates the Gryphon Kingdom and their king._

That got Cadance to calm down a little. "He hates the Gryphon Kingdom?" She whispered to herself.

"Young Dragomir," Legasi said in a loud voice, his expression suddenly from threatening to joy as he shook the boy's hand. "I haven't seen you come into the kitchen for a couple of weeks now. Tell me, are the rumors true that you ran away from home and returned with a pony princess?"

Dragomir nodded, and then stepped further to the chef's right so Cadance was in his better line of vision. Instinctively, she returned behind the boy and peeked around his right side, holding onto him with both of her wings. The one-eyed chef leaned in and stared at the alicorn as if he was studying her. This went on for a couple of minutes with their eyes locked on one another before he graced her with a smile, surprising every one of his subordinates. Cadance felt the startling yet gracious firmness of the Gryphon thrusting his arm around her neck in the blink of an eye. She felt pulled into a gentle hug with his talons pulling strands of her mane from her eyes.

"Let me get a good look at you," he requested, his left eye slightly bulging out as he held the alicorn in place. He chuckled after seeing into her eyes and released her. She returned behind her protector, but not fast enough to miss his smile growing into a large grin. "Well I must say that you have quite the eye for pretty mares. I haven't seen a beauty like her since the day my wife rejected me." He rubbed his left cheek. "Darn mare knows how to punch."

"A mare? You're married to a pony?" Cadance inquired.

"I was married, but she passed away from giving birth to my daughter. She was a beauty, though. All tenacious and with a spirit for action, just like this kid." Legasi said. He reared up and ruffled the prince's hair for his own amusement. Cadance went to apologize, but could not get a single word out since he was too busy enjoying himself. "Yeah, there is not a day that goes by where I am hearing about this boy doing something stupid or nice. Tis a real shame the dragoness' don't see you the way I do."

 _It's not my fault their so stuck-up,_ Dragomir huffed to the princess. There were very few times Cadance was truly interested in someone's history, but for being such a pain in his side and hearing that he is not so lucky on the female side, she became very interested. Cadance' eyes widen with curiosity but Dragomir walked away right there.

Legasi watched this happen and sighed to himself. "Oh crap, I did it again. . ." He began, dropping the spice to the floor, his entire attitude changing on the turn of a dime. After a few second of cursing himself, the Gryphon faced Cadance but apparently carried a darker secret about the prince in his eyes.

"What?" She asked in skeptic tone.

Legasi ran a claw through his feathers, straightening a few that were ruffled by his aggravation. "You know that when a prince or princess comes of age they have suitors placed before them. You're old enough for that, right?"

"Yes," Cadance nodded. "But in Equestria that no longer applies. A prince or princess is free to choose who he or she wants to spend their life with."

The frustrated Gryphon locked eyes with the mesmerizing alicorn, the latter her staring at a wise being that was upset with himself and Dragomir' unfortunate circumstance. "Well Dragomir' does not have that luxury like you do. He has to meet suitors every month and choose a dragoness to be his. Sure, they use their magic to shrink to his size and change shape out respect, but it's to show respect to the queen."

"Does he reject every one of them?" Cadance asked, though her voice had some concern in it. She appeared to be worried for the half-blood, who had already left the kitchen to avoid the subject.

"No, he is all for taking them on date like a proper gentleman. But every dragoness he's met rejected him on the spot." Legasi said in a hollow tone. He shook his head in shame of the boy's predicament. "He's a really nice kid too, always a gentleman with every lady he meets, but they don't see past his size how big his heart is and assume he's a disgrace to their species. It's why he is always running out of the castle."

"To take his mind off of them?" She assumed.

"No," he snapped, and then collected himself. Obviously he was going to have to be blunt with the princess. "Okay, I know the whole story between you and him, but do you know why he was in the desert on the night he found you?"

She shook her head.

"It's because the last dragoness he chose rejected him in the harshest of ways," he explained with apprehension. He looked away in disgust of the dragon that started the problem. "She said some of the most hateful things in front of the king and queen, and most of the castle staff heard her. She started with calling him an abomination and worked her way down to being the worst mistake in dragon history. She even called him a bastard prince because so many dragons gave pieces of themselves to save him." He sighed sorrowfully before getting back on track with his story. "After that, Dragomir had enough and ran away from here. He planned on leaving the country, but thank the heavens he found you." He smiled again and nudged the princess. "I'm sorry for saying this, but your foalnapping is what made Dragomir return. If you had not been where you were that night, that boy would already be a caged animal."

"Okay that is just stupid of you to say—no offence," she admitted bluntly, taking the liberty to look over the Gryphon and see where Dragomir was. To her dismay, he was nowhere to be found. "But he would not be caged like some kind of animal."

"Oh yes he would." Legasi argued. He pointed at the door Dragomir left through. "Other kingdoms would love to experiment on that boy and see what makes him tick. Trust me. I know from being his personal guard when he was just a kid. I had to fight with so many crooks over the years, and it cost me my eye."

"You lost your eye because you were protecting him?"

Legasi thrust a claw to his chest and held his head high. "You're damn right I did, and I'm proud of it. That boy may be puny in the eyes of dragons, but his heart is bigger than any of theirs. He was the first friend I had after my wife passed away. Eventually though, I got too old for the job and he grew up. But we still have good talks from time to time, or that I blabber my mouth and he just listens."

Cadance found herself once more underestimating and misjudging the prince. Once more she was stricken with guilt and regretted the bed things she said and did to Dragomir, and once more she was shown the better light of her protector as she watched the Griffon think back to his own past. Once more, her inability to see the inner workings of the Dragon Prince was thrown back in her face.

"Listen to me kid. I know I have no right to say what comes next because of what you endured, but I'm asking because you're the only one who is so close to Dragomir." Legasi began in a serious tone, and slowly leaned into the princess' ear. "I understand that you want to go back home and forget everyone and everything here. I know you want to return home and pretend that we don't exist, but don't do that to Dragomir. He suffers enough as an outcast."

Her eyes widened in shock. How could he have known what she wanted? And what did he mean by Dragomir' being an outcast?

"He's a good kid who is in alot of pain, and neither his mother or father will take the time to sit down and try to help him." Legasi said quietly. "Being a prince or princess is hard, but it's harder for Dragomir since he is not a dragon. Sure, there are a few dragoness' that adore him. But that does fill the hole around his heart."

"He seems to be fine the way he is," she argued.

Legasi shook his head. "No, he is not fine. He has shut out the world around him and placed this wall around him." He said in a deep tone with claw imagery. "The boy you see is a shell that protects how he truly feels. The real Dragomir, the one you need to draw out, is hurting on the inside and angry at the entire world. He hates himself for being different. He hates that he is half-dragon. That hatred is eating him away and will continue to do so if you don't do something about it."

Under the circumstances of not trusting any Gryphon whatsoever, Cadance would not taken his words to heart, or waved it off as inconsequential. But now? Now the truth was heavy weight on her shoulders, a painful reminder that her new friend already had enough to deal with. Even more painful was the fact that she knew what Legasi meant and felt, or at least have some perspective to the problem.

"I know that it is you who can help him," Legasi said to her. Cadance was starting to worry, but did not question or argue. The undeniable fact that when he looked up to her so highly, only the short remembrance of Megan's cruelty to her own son was yet another pool of guilt to her misjudgment of him. "You're the first female to actually give him a chance. Instead of seeing him as an abomination, you're walking beside him. That's what tells me you're the right one for the job."

Cadance stared at the Gryphon for a moment, before shaking her head in shame. "I treated Dragomir like trash in the beginning." She sighed in regret. "Even when he saved me, I called him names and pushed him around like a snobby horse. I've been no different from the dragoness' you speak of."

"That does not matter anymore. What happened a few days ago is drastically altered by what is now. You may not see it, but there is a big change in that boy because of you. I haven't seen him smile until you arrived."

Cadance returned from her guilt and brought the subject to focus, staring at the Gryphon before he nodded in approval. She knew what it meant. She knew she was the reason.

"I make him smile. . ." She was at a loss for words. Legasi was enthusiastic to see the metaphorical lightbulb flicker above her head before it finally came on.

"The first to make him smile without forcing it in a long time," he added.

* * *

There was no grand search for the Dragon Prince as Cadance left the kitchen with a newfound admiration for herself. It was something out of the ordinary as the atmosphere around her seemed to lighten up and freshly risen truth about her friend gave her a new goal. In fact, she was determined to do more than make things right with the boy. Entering what must be the dining hall after a long walk to clear her head, she finally came across Dragomir sitting at the table with his hands covering his face. His sorrow was noted by the young princess. That was when the conflictions before were buried and Cadance had taken it upon herself to do what should have been given to him a long time ago.

"You tried to run away to escape everyone judging you." she pointed out before wrapping nuzzling him. Her words were like a knife cutting through his mind.

She giggled at the face he was making. "Don't look at me like that. Your former guard, Legasi, told me why you were outside of your own castle that night."

 _I wanted to leave and never come back._ Dragomir said firmly—to which made the Princess of Love a little worried. He raised his hands and then slammed them on the table, creating a short quake as wood splintered. This was a new development of his person to her. _That stupid dragoness, Barbara, just had to go out of her way to be a real bitch. All I did was ask her out and I get treated like shit._ He exclaimed in his frustration, before slamming his forehead onto the table. _I hate being half-dragon so much. Sometimes I wish there was a spell that could change me into something else—that way I don't have to be a half-blood._

"You're just being a big grouch." Cadance chuckled, stroking the back of his neck. "Maybe you need to wait for some. . .dragon to come to you. You've got plenty of time to think about the future of your kingdom."

 _What about you?_ He asked, leaning away from her. She blushed between her own words and his question before realizing she was disliking her own enthusiasm for him to wait for a dragoness. The question to that was 'why did she dislike the idea?'

"I don't have to go through courtship like you do. My aunt removed that rule after a few suitors pushed a little too hard in getting my attention." She said with slow nod, receiving the prince's best glare as they had the dining room all to themselves.

 _What about a special someone?_

"Don't have one yet, and I don't know when I will. But when I do, it will be somepony who is kind, gentle, and great with kids."

Dragomir gave her a deep laugh. _That sounds like me._ Before he could realize what he had just said there was already the awkward silence descending into the room as she stared at him in shock.

Cadance found she was getting weak legs as she stared at the prince. At first she'd been mellow, acting like a careless pony with some pull to the strings of their strange connection. Conscience flowed back with movement, and she found she could not easily block the weird feeling in her stomach. After the emptiness seemed to fill up, the goosebumps sensation was more annoying and troublesome and impossible to manage. She picked up that Dragomir was blushing with her, and in the same concur. Neither were moving from the subject.

Both teenagers found themselves swelling with a warm feeling that should be no surprise, yet it astonished them. The awkward silence continued to grow along with their mysterious connection. Was it from their understanding of one another?

Finally, Cadance snapped out of her stupor, the same with Dragomir, and changed the subject very quickly. "So, I hope you don't mind having a feast for dinner. On my way out, Legasi said he's going to make a big dish for us to share."

 _Share?_ A sense of nervousness swept through the prince as he thought about the old Gryphon playing one of his dirty tricks. _Hey, only couples share a dish. You think that maybe he is trying to. . ._ He broke off with the princess having the same look of suspicion.

They thought about it for a moment before laughing, both believing that the old chef would not pull their 'strings' like that. Legasi wasn't anywhere near manipulative and Dragomir doubted if he could have the time or energy to make them come together. But little did he know who stood on the other side of the door, lurking in the shadow and listening to what he knew was a one-sided conversation in mortal ears. He knew it was abnormal for the alicorn to talk to the prince and felt that there was some hope. It made him smile to hear that Cadance was indeed talking to him.

"I knew you were the one." He whispered, scratching a terrible itch on his scarred eye. He stared down at the floor and sigh in content of the results. "You two have no idea just how special you are."


	13. Some History

Despite the rubble and smoldering debris from the attack on Dragoria, the kingdom of ancient dragons was very alive with activity. Over the past few days, Cadance watched from the balcony as dragons left the castle with written documents for repairs and medical treatment to be done in the near future. Venders were much more needy on the matter, but it was nothing a small pocket of change from the royal vault could handle. The kingdom was still an epicenter of power and justification in the desert for so few who venture beyond the borders and though everything seemed chaotic, there was still hope to found.

"I wonder when I'll get to go home." She said to herself, the thought more depressing with each minute she ponders in her loneliness. She wondered if her friends and aunt were worried about her. The only thing that seemed to keep her entertained was understanding Dragomir more and more with their time together as friends, if that is what she would call their connection.

Since the attack, she had been in confusion of where her feelings are for the dragon prince, curious by the sensations she has when around him. Being the princess of love she should have a good idea as to what she feels, but the closer they are the stronger her feelings for him become. Just his smile made her day a little brighter, and his goofiness made her laugh. And let's not forget the things he does that overtakes his human-self.

Human, she did not understand what a human is or how they are supposed to act. She sees good qualities in Dragomir when he is not acting like an animal and thinks that maybe he is not the monster she thought him to be. The idea is still there, but it is corrected with every little thing he does.

"What is he?" She paced on the question whilst observing Dragomir from the window, watching his every movement as evening descended over the kingdom in sand and shadow, light beginning to fade from the sun but torches across the streets lit by the guards.

She could not understand the half-blood magic in the middle of the courtyard, spell after spell consisting fire, lightning; even ice and wind soared from the boy with each cast of his hand or gust of his own breath. The fire was the most impressive affinity to the princess, an overpowering heat in a multitude of colors as it soars to mysterious cutouts of steel. Skeptical she was, but the formation she saw with the prince was the confusing part, seeing him surrounded by these oddly shaped targets, most likely his own way of training to be a true dragon.

That was Cadance assumption, but she hoped it was not true. She listened to his mind for better understanding of the power conflicting him, her eyes fixated on his body language.

 _Dammit_ she heard before he punched the ground. Why, she did not know, but it must have great importance if he was becoming aggravated. She tilted her head while his aggravation worsened. _I should be able to do it by now, but I can't. What the hell is holding me back?_

Cadance's eyes narrowed on him. Holding him back, she'd thought while her 'guardian' stood up an proceeded to flex his muscles. To her surprise, magic welled up around him, a dome fiery and colorful, appearing to be burning from his insides, blazing an raking at the ground. She tuned her head just in time as the prince's mouth opened emptied the contents in a fiery blast, a powerful action she couldn't understand. Something more powerful than interest consumed her. Wave after wave of the boy's drew her closer, lasting long second that felt like minutes. She was blushing, and the pit of stomach had butterflies.

Abruptly, the fire burst at the first target, and Dragomir panted heavily, desperate to draw air into his lungs. Cadance saw that he was dizzy and weak, but there was something peculiar about his appearance that caught her eye just as the dome disappeared. She would never have guessed that his abilities had setbacks.

She watched the strength and intensity of his convulsion slowly fade in the heated markings all over his body. Her eyes widened in shock when he fell to one knee, coughing and wheezing smoke while his hair pulsed. Possessing deep concern, Cadance did not waste another second watching the prince fall. She leaped out of the window and descended with her wings carrying her, but this intention was different, a strong liking for the prince, yet she did not question it or herself whilst landing at his side.

"Hey, are you okay?" She draped his back with her wing for a moment and through the corner of her eye, saw the fear in his before it was slapped away. The sound of his mute terror filled her mind as his eyes snapped fiercely.

 _Don't touch me!_ He looked towards his targets and brushed one hand over the other arm. _. . . .I don't want to burn you._

Cadance stood hurt with one hoof rubbing where he slapped her wing. Tangled strands of magic, heavy in power, had wrapped around the prince in a blanket of ember as she watched him with concern. Nevertheless, it was rude of him to act so brash of her kindness and made her a little mad—that is until the living embers licking him became a bright flora in his hair. She caught glimpses of his body changing, his lower arms and legs shifting from flesh to scales, off and on in a marring of several rock-like craters flashing across his disheveled form.

She gasped into her hoof before approaching the boy, a mere brushing of her hoof while the shifting finally ended with Dragomir still himself.

"What was that Dragomir? Are you changing?"

Her long lashes rose and she looked up to him. The moment their eyes met, his heart leapt into his chest and the fear of hurting the princess was replaced with newfound fear he'd never felt before. He had heard of the many stories about alicorns once existing as a thriving species that waged war against the dragons. Tales of bloodshed and death passed down by his own mother, and it should have given him the incentive to not trust this alicorn. His body told him to not side with her, but his mind and heart said otherwise. And there no mistaking the worry in her orbs, or the gentle touch of her hoof in his hand as she blushed.

Cadance did not want to admit it, but he had been stunningly handsome to him. Though a few days passed, as she'd grown onto him, she noticed the more humane side of him became much more apparent. The feelings inside him boiled hotly for her, and she could feel them without having to try.

"What's wrong?" She pulled him closer, forcing the matter. "Why are you scared?"

He brushed back the hair flowing across his face, while allowing the living fire on him to die out.

 _I'm afraid that I will not be a great ruler unless I do something about my appearance,_ he answered. He tried to turn away, but she pressed on, this time pulling him down to his knees so they were eye level.

There was a little hitch to her voice that caught a her. "What is it?" She rubbed his arm with one hoof and dragged it down to his hand to grasp it, her cheeks burning hotly. "Why are you scared to burn me?" She held his hand, tightly, to pull him down to his knee so they were at eye level.

She felt him shiver, the slightest of trembles, but she did not step away from him, rather she leaned in and nuzzled his face s subtly so his fear would not overcome him. "Dragomir, I won't tell anypony." She braved a gentle kiss to his warm cheek, forcing the infatuation to show on his cheeks and in a pink shade throughout his hair. She did it for one thing. Simply telling the prince she had feelings for him and helping him learn to trust her a little. For his problem were all that mattered in that moment.

Her lips curved into a faint smile beneath his confused gaze. "We're already stuck together because of your dad making you honor this _debt_ you have. We may as well learn to get along and trust one another."

Dragomir laughed—a small one, but it was a laugh and it made her happy. His hollow touch became full by the brushing of his thumb across her hoof, his next movement a sudden fall onto his buttocks that almost startled the pony. Side by side in the moment of silence, his hair possessed by his emotions, stroked caresses on her back, following down the path to her tail. He realized not all alicorns are as told in the stories. Not this one. He grasped that and the uneasiness he'd felt was chipped away.

He was not aware that Cadance intertwined her tail into his hair until she closed into his side and looked back to the connection.

She slid her wing across his back and hugged him, bunching part of his bandages into her feathers. "So what was it you were trying to do just now?"

Dragomir moved his hand across his neck, the oddest of signs, a mere drag of his claws, back and forth, scratching at the itch of her question.

 _I'm trying to. . . overheat._

His confession made her confused. "Overheat?" she repeated. She pondered that word for a moment. "So you're trying to burn up?"

He shook his head. _No, it's not like that._ He pointed at his chest. _Overheat is a power that runs in the royal bloodline. It' where a dragon finds the inner fire of their soul and taps into their full potential._

"Full potential!?" She turned her head to look up to the remaining smoke from the incident. "So hang on. You mean to tell me that you were holding back when we were attacked?"

He shook his head again. This time he was deadly serious, a little more insistent.

 _No, I wasn't holding back. But if I had the power to overheat I could stop monsters like that. I could be like father, unstoppable._

"Then what's stopping you?" Cadance asked.

He laughed softly. _My dad said that in order to overheat you must have a powerful spark between you and the one that is connected to you. Whether it be a similar rage, hatred or fury, it must be similar and strong for it work._

A sense of complete obliviousness crept though Cadance. She wasn't entirely sure to go along with this conversation and doubt if she could be of any help at that point. She wanted to help the prince without making it obvious her intentions, but it felt knee deep with him looking at her in anticipation for some sort of answer.

She thought hard, worrying the seconds ticking by, knowing any moment he would discover her lack of knowledge in dragons. After feeling pressured by his gaze, the princess gave up and decided to go on with the truth. She shook her head in disappointment, her expression a sense of grief for the boy.

 _You don't know what I'm talking about._ He breathed the words into her mind, accompanied by his sense of failure for his efforts. He stood up and looked away, but the sorrow was obvious. _It's okay. Not many dragons know about it anyway. I'm not supposed to tell you in the first place, but I have no one to talk about it._

"What about your parents?" Cadance asked as she stood up with him.

Dragomir scoffed. _My mother is the last person I want to talk too, and my dad is too busy running an entire kingdom to notice that I have problems._ He looked down at the pony, glaring. _Why do you think I keep sneaking out of the castle?_

The answer came to Cadance, the burning feeling of curiosity for his actions. She realized then came to grips with the prince's strange negative attitude towards his parents.

"You're wanting their attention," she hit the nail on the head.

Dragomir nodded then had an idea come to him as the last bit of sunlight descended, leaving Dragoria in the shadow of night. Sadly for the kingdom, there was not a night sky to be seen. The sandstorm surrounding the disheveled city yet kept at bay by a barrier, was separating the beauty of darkness.

Cadance tilted her head while the boy pondered his idea. Suddenly he broke apart their touch, raising his head to a nearby balcony until she nudged him.

"Hey, what's up with you?" She nudged him again, and found herself taken back by the adventurous look in his eyes.

 _Come on,_ he ordered before running towards said balcony. _I'll make more sense if I just show._

Before the princess could get another word out, he was already thrusting his claws into a wall and climbing. She struggled in her own mind to understand barbaric nature he has, but she could not help smiling at him. Climbing a wall like that was pretty cool.

"Slow down!" She gave chase.

* * *

Cadance found she was deep within another area of the castle as she hurried along. Throughout her jog with Dragomir she'd been worried, acting like a quiet filly with the feeling of something bad about to happen. Pictures of famous dragons hung with meaning throughout the crimson hall and she found she could easily get lost if her friend was not there to guide her. After the dreary gaze from these pictures, the prickly sensation of their eyes was more uneasy and troublesome and less manageable while keeping close the boy. She kept her eyes on the floor, but in deference to his intention, she wasn't fond of enchanted pictures shifting their eyes on her.

 _There may be a guard or two in the room._ He warned her, after coming to a dead stop at the doors she failed to see until her wing around his arm was pulled back. _We may have to sneak in later tonight._

That made her skin crawl. She hadn't believed that they could just get out of trouble should someone catch them entering a forbidden room. Hanging onto the prince with a tight grip, she no time to reconsider turning around and returning to the king and queen. A lot of her feelings about this were instinctual as Dragomir pushed the door open slowly and poked his head inside.

"Maybe we shouldn't," she suggested.

Dragomir looked back at her. _It's all clear. Let's go._ He pulled her along into the room. Seeing as how there was no light, he channeled some his magic into his hair to bring light for their journey. _You need to see this anyway. Then you'll understand what I mean._

Cadance found her heart swelling with fear and concern. There should be no more surprise with this boy, yet he continued to surprise her. Her infatuation continued to grow along with her thoughts about him.

 _Here it is,_ he manipulated his hair to rise at the portrait in front of them. _The first dragon to overheat._

Cadance raised her head to said portrait, and gasped.

 _Pretty cool, isn't it?_ Dragomir asked with a smile, running his hand over the portrait. _That's my great, great, great grandmother._

Cadance stepped back to see the entire thing. "Your grandmother?"

 _Yup,_ he chirped. _Her name was Xion, but my dad said she was known in her time as the Baneful Goddess._ Suddenly his smile dissolved to a frown, and the fire in his hair dimmed as he looked back at the pony. _I don't know much about her, and there is not a single book that exists to tell of her legacy. But dad told me that she was the most gentle goddess to live. Everyone, even ponies, went to her when times were tough._

"She kind of scary looking." Cadance stated a little rudely.

Dragomir laughed. _Yeah, but that's because this is a portrait made after she used overheat to destroy her enemies._

The atmosphere shifted and then cut back sharply between Cadance and the prince. She could sense grief coming along as their eyes met. She was much closer to Dragomir than she'd expected, which meant she had deviated from her distrust and followed what she felt. She a hoof on his leg, halting his negativity. Guiding him, they sat together in front of the portrait, her body sheltered by the warmth of his body when he hugged her to remove the chill. She knew by this touch, if they were not a couple or an item, then they would become one should their time remain intertwined.

"What happened to her?" she looked up to Dragomir as he rubbed her sides, and heard every breath he drew was deeper. His eyes were focused on the picture. He had something to say.

He looked relaxed, but deep inside, he coiled, unready and more than unwilling to answer her. But something about Cadance drew him out of his seclusion.

 _My dad told me that she was in love with a earth pony, a simple merchant that visited her all the time. The legend of her power is that after she married this pony and him immortality he was murdered by the alicorn he left. After witnessing his death she went into a terrible rampage and proceeded to eradicate ponykind from existence._

 _Overheating became a legendary power and the battle killed thousands, but my grandmother and this alicorn were sealed away in a prison by a group of alicorns and dragons that came together to end the madness. No one knows where this prison is, but the myth that spread overtime is during the first eclipse of the ten-thousandth year, both goddesses will escape to finish the battle they started._

"Do you think it will happen?" Cadance leaned into his chest, hearing his heartbeat almost in perfect rhythm with hers.

 _No one knows,_ he sighed into her mind. _But if it does, my parents will be there to stop it. They're gods after all._

Cadance eyed the face of the portrait, feeling a little sorry for this unfortunate dragon.

"Love that brings power. . . and pain." she whispered.


	14. Tension and Snuggles

The cold, fresh air broke Cadance's peaceful slumber and brought her to the dim light of a fireplace burning brightly, fire rippling the shadows that engulf her and Dragomir as the doors to his bedroom creaked with a tall figure entering at her own accord. Glass clanking on metal ringed in the alicorn's ears as she yawned cutely on her pillow. As strange as it was to be in a bedroom with the only creature she trusts to not violate her body, Cadance did not care in the least. It was too early and she was too tired from listening to all of Dragomir' stories to think about personal space.

Besides, he was warm and snuggly, something she hadn't felt from another—that excluding her aunt comforting her when the nightmare occurred.

"Who knew his hair was like a blanket," she smiled weakly in the mat of this blue fire as she listened to her friend snoring lightly. Such an odd color though; perhaps it meant he was at peace, or calm, or just asleep.

"Is his mane always like this?" she yawned quietly.

All of these qualities, combined with his beastly handsomeness charming the best of grown dragons like she'd seen these past few days, as well as his cute nature to tilt his head at every confusing thing, and lets not forget his colorful eyes shimmering brightly made him dangerous with the females she'd caught adoring him when he was taking care of hatchlings.

This half-breed had it going and she was a little jealous for the small number of females checking him out. She wished it was like that whenever she was at school or having to deny every suitor coming her way.

She wondered how he was so dense to his capabilities, but the particular shadow approaching her had a pretty good idea to what she had in her head whilst placing the metallic tray at the table.

"Yes it is," the figure appeared in the light and smiled at the sleepy princess. "It changes with his emotions, except for when he sleeps. Blue means he's resting."

Suddenly remembering the other day, Cadance found the woman to be suspicious and slightly dangerous to the prince. She snapped out of he grogginess, stood up, and towered over her friend to protect him, something she did not expect of herself but it was needed.

"Calm down," the dragon queen chuckled, sitting distantly from the prince and princess.

Unconvinced, Cadance remained where she was and scanned the woman's posture and attitude with intense scrutiny, but said scan failed to bring enlightenment of the woman's behavior.

Although a friend protecting another friend, Cadance was slow and careful to lie back down on the deeply slumbering prince. As she rested on his stomach, her reply came swift and cruel.

"He doesn't want to see you. You hurt him alot and he's afraid of you."

After absorbing those words, the queen was much less confident and depressed.

"I know that already, but it doesn't mean I stop being his mother."

"Some mother you are," Cadance chastised hatefully, then turned to the snoring teenager puffing blue flames with every exhale. "What kind of mother hurts her own son after he'd been attacked and almost killed?"

And with that, Megan clenched her teeth. Cadance was not intimidated however, and she was certain that it drove the woman to madness.

"Can we talk peacefully without bringing my mistake or my son into it?"

Cadance was about to answer the same say she'd been acting, when she felt Dragomir sigh. She was worn by it and his arms curling around her protectively. The crevices of her mind were filled with the nervous thinking of sleeping with the prince as the room fell in silence with Megan observing her carefully. She did not shiver with cold, but with delight of the warmth of his body. She couldn't understand why she was, but she could not find deny that his touch was soothing and the best comfort she'd had in a long time.

Her voice changed completely The anger and distrust dissolved. Her tone became as soft as the behind her ears. Tender. Smooth. Gentleness brushing over the intensity between her and Megan with a soothing tone of his snoring.

"He's hard to push away, isn't he?" Megan asked with a gentle smile.

Cadance's mind wandered. Before she had her answer, she couldn't act clearly, but. . .

"It's not magic, but something that cannot be explained," the queen continued in a drift of certain memories about her and Dragomir. Her eyes sparkled the saddest of tears as she looked at her child guiltily. "He makes you feel relaxed and loved. His hugs are so warm that you melt."

She wiped away the tears and looked at Cadance. "Maybe I'm just not ready to let him grow up and see the world for what it is. But it's so hard to let go when I see him with you."

Cadance felt hesitant and found herself a little scared. "That's a little harsh. You don't even know me."

"No, but I've seen every dragoness shun him for his indifference." Megan said frustratingly. "You can't blame me for assuming that you will hurt my son in the end."

Cadance was enraged and found herself scowling. She was no "snobby" noble, and she cared about the boy, but more than anything, she was somehow attracted to him. Her heart contracted painfully. She going was going to do something she knew Dragomir would not take lightly if he found out.

"Get the buck over it." She made the queen flinch. "It's not like I'm taking your son from you. I'm just stuck with him because of your husband's rules. Besides, you should be glad that he has somepony to spend time with rather than think about the worst possible outcome."

The sad truth was—Cadance had a point. She and Dragomir go together. He was happier and at times he was full of life, caught in the friendship of this pony. The light of the fireplace shadowed down the princess, nearly darkening the entire room.

"How did I even end up here in the first place?"

Megan stood up and walked away with much thinking ahead of her. It sounded so easy to accept and watch the two teenagers develop, but she was still suspicious and disliking that it had to be an alicorn to bring joy to her child. Of all creatures in this world, she would know.

She sighed heavily and looked back to the curious princess.

"He carried you in here." she answered, then looked away as though she were too ashamed to face the surprised look Cadance had on her face.

"Well why didn't he go into a separate room?"

There was the ominous look of disgust again, her eyes filled with the sour taste of reality while the pink alicorn adjusted herself in the boy's arms.

"Because he is in your debt, and protecting you is part of the job." She coughed into her hand and tried the blush running across her cheeks. "Besides, he could not bear watching you cry in your sleep."

Megan shook her head. Cadance was brave to have the woman allow this much physical contact, exploring new things when they knew what would be found. Neither knew about the feelings of the prince, but there was a good assumption. And for him to share such a intimate night without taking advantage. Cadance had seen the ugly things a stallion could do to a mare—to her—but for a kind beast like him to stay for her comfort was an altogether different thing.

Cadance did not have to wait for the queen to take her leave, both preferring not to drag any more nervous tension. With the door closed and no sunlight to indicate the time of day, she returned to the addicting heat of her protector. She rolled into his chest with her hooves wrapped around tightly, pulling back into his chest, sheltered protectively in his grasp as the calm thumps of his heart came to he. She opened herself a little more easily and took the time to be quietly astonished at how tame he was. There was a connection though, and it was so strong she couldn't tell whether he was just friend or something else.

Maybe something more, but that was not possible. She could not be falling for a beast, right?

The motion of Dragomir breathing into her mane sorted a few of her thoughts down to the core of the problem. She pondered through the various encounters and how they act now, trying to see what has led her to disappointment. She had the urge to awaken the prince and ask how he felt about her, but—

"I'll just see how things go," she whispered petulantly, smiling with the idea of her perfect stallion being not-so-perfect after all. She felt no shame in feeling for the prince. She had no guilt behind the ideas her classmates her gave when they spoke of the stallions of their dreams.

Her light about Dragomir was not the same, but it was satisfying. She couldn't have had any better findings in a soul so pure and gentle, because she had been shown that imperfection does bring out the best, and she was anchored to it.

It poured in the princess' mind as she nestled in that crook of his neck. Here, a scarred, belligerent and insufferable beast with hardly any manners, but the good outweighed the bad. He was kind, sincere in his own way, gentle, caring and most of all, fierce.

Yes, fierce the perspective she had of her perfect prince. A brave soul with no concern for his well-being, granted it can be annoying when his life is in jeopardy, but he had that quality she wanted to see from every story her aunt told.

Her mind floated to the very surface of said thoughts. This was her moment of giddiness while the young prince held her protectively in his arms. She giggled with a little bit of embarrassment to sharing a bed with him, but she kept her movements gentle, her touch calm. She did not want to wake him or accidentally separate.

She had been more than aware of his body needing her, clinging to life when the moment developed. It should have been impossible, and yet, here she was falling for a half-breed. She was beginning to realize, with Dragomir, the fantasy of a brave knight was very real.

"You can't hear me, so it's okay," Cadance cooed, brushing part of his hair from his eyes. "But you're pretty cute when you're not acting like a wild beast."

. . .

"It is best if we enroll her." Erion took charge. Megan was swaying with weariness. He needed to calm down as well. Both needed to understand that something was building between their son and the alicorn. "This is a good opportunity to form an alliance with the princesses."

The guards in the throne room stepped away to give the king and queen privacy, such as could be had in the large quarters of the echoing room.

"I don't want the same mistake to be made," Megan said harshly.

"It's not worse than what you did," Erion said, receiving his wife's tears. "She's not like Celestia and you know it, but you're too afraid to face the fact that our son is no longer a baby."

"Yes he is. He's my baby. I may not have had the pleasure of raising him like you have, but he is my flesh and blood. She will not hurt him again!"

Erion had enough of their argument. He reduced himself to her size without warning his wife and engulfed from behind with his arms, just like he had to calm her down the first time she experienced this fear of hers. Mighty was the best term to her strength, but he had the upper claw as her husband, not as her king.

Painful it was to restrain his grunting woman, but he had to be done. He placed his claws firmly on her stomach and chest in support of whatever might happen.

"Calm down," He shushed her with a tender caress of his wings as the situation drew long and hard for the both them. He felt his love's pain and trembled with her. "Megan, I understand that you're hurting. But you need to stop and think about our son."

Megan stopped struggling. She fell to her knees and glared over her shoulder at the drake in anguish. "How can I calm down when my son is sleeping with that alicorn!?"

"It's not like they're doing anything bad," Erion said with a chuckle. He pulled back a few strands of hair that had slipped her thick braid.

"But he's too young," she barked. "You know it."

"I understand that neither should be so closer," he admitted, looking down the corridor that led to his son's room. "But I know Dragomir will not harm her." He smiled warmly, confusing his queen. "Besides, I have nothing against those two developing a relationship."

"That's because you're a romantic."

"I get it from my wife." He chuckled.

Megan pushed back the arms from her chest and quickly averted his lips to the side of her head, but not before Erion caught the sheen of anger in her eyes.

"I don't want it to be possible," she admitted. Her voice wobbled, but she refused to defuse the conversation or look away from Erion's penetrating gaze.

"You once told me that love is something you cannot dictate," Erion reminded with a weary grin. "You said it is a magic that cannot be broken."

"But this is not love," Megan said, a slow, infuriating scowl pushing through the weight of her fear and despair. "This is a spoiled brat that has interest in our child for his unique abilities. He's just a toy to her."

"She does have feelings for him," Erion said calmly. "She's falling for Dragomir and it is tearing you apart inside. You're afraid that those two may develop a relationship, all because of what you went through when you were in Equestria."

"Because alicorns are all the same," Megan replied. She rubbed both hands over her face. "They're arrogant and selfish to the core. They have no consideration for others and act as though the world owes them nothing but they can take everything."

"Is that your perspective of Celestia?" Erion asked, and he watched as the love of his life became hinged with shock. He smiled and crossed his arms at her.

"Looks like I hit the nail on the head."

"It's her fault for everything that happened."

"No, it is not." He argued. "She was no different when you gave birth to Dragomir. Need I remind you that you told me it was thanks to her dark magic that you were able to create him."

She turned away angrily. "You need to shut up about the past. It was a mistake."

"No, you're just angry that your son may do better than you." He pointed out, drilling the fact into her mind. "And you are afraid that he will want to follow Cadance to Equestria, which is perfectly fine with me."

"Why are you not against it?" Megan asked, glaring daggers over her shoulder to her smiling husband.

Erion put a comforting claw on her shoulder. Only then did he realize how shaken-up his queen was, but it was needed.

"Because she is his mother as well." He whispered. "Dragomir may have grown in womb, but the magic that helped you grow him, that gave him life, came from her."

He stepped away, letting her absorb his words.

"Think about it, my love." He requested. "Would Celestia really try to kill your son? Would she try to destroy what you two worked so hard to create?"


	15. Fun and Goofing Around

_My back. . ._ Dragomir groaned as his mind drifted back into the realm of consciousness, his eyes struggling behind the gloss and shine of his hoard and eventually opening up to a wide-awake Cadance sitting on his couch and reading a book from his shelf. However, due to the last thing he remembered, his senses went into overdrive as he immediately rolled and leaped onto all fours, eyes wide open, staring at the alicorn in shock and horror and ready to run for the hills. However, the jingling of gold and gems drew Cadance's attention as he blushed at her, and she smiled warmly whilst setting the book to the side.

"Morning," Cadance's warm voice chirped, easing him a little and calming his nerves as he slid down his treasure. He sputtered from the corners of his mind before gazing at the princess for her giggling. He was also quick to realize that she was holding his hand with her wing and nuzzling his chest.

 _Cadance. . . I'm so sorry, but you. . ._ He stopped at the hoof now pressed to his lips. He sighed in relief when she did not tear a new one into him for the lack of space.

"You're so cute like that," she tittered, continuing to gently nuzzle his chest. He also took in mind the lack of conflict between them, rather she was quite happy to have him here. Giving a moment to think, Dragomir decided he would not push the matter why she was not getting onto him for sleeping with her, but he was certain that it would come up later during their day. One thing that had him curious, however, was her reason behind holding his hand and leaning so close to him that their bodies touched.

 _Did you sleep well?_ he asked calmly, eyeing the gently strokes of her wing whilst rubbing his eyes with his other hand. It was apparent that he had concern for the alicorn, and she adored it very much to have crimson across her cheeks.

"Did _you_ sleep well?" Cadance giggled once more, and opted to reward the prince with a loving hug. Her soft and smooth chest ran across his as she swished her tail with adoration. Of course, he choked on the emotions running through him, after she cooed:

"Thanks for keeping me company last night."

 _Well, I. . ._ Dragomir pondered the right use of words. _You were pretty tired, and you were crying after I tried to leave. I figured it was a nightmare getting to you. I hope that's alright._

"It's okay since you did not try to take advantage of me," Cadance explained, albeit very sheepishly. While she looked somewhat embarrassed, Dragomir had to swallow the lump in his throat, as the entire moment was something romantic and surprisingly overbearing from the heat radiating off his body. He actually began to sweat as the princess went on with holding him close.

"You know, I was completely wrong about you. I'd thought you were just a mindless beast that acts wild, but you're the opposite of everything I assumed you are."

 _Well, I can go crazy and act like a wild animal. But I'm pretty sure that would tick you off and make you hate me,_ he commented, chuckling and avoiding the gaze of this pony. He could not help with his hair turning a solid shade of pink as she gazed up at him longingly.

"You're quite the gentlecolt, aren't you?" She asked, releasing the prince but keeping a firm grip on his hand. She could his claws rubbing against it tenderly.

 _I get it from my father,_ he answered, honestly. Of course, Cadance gave him a skeptic look and called him out on that.

"It's bad to lie to a princess. Just admit it, you try to be a dragon but you're really a nice guy."

 _And what makes you think that?_ he asked, shooting her a grin.

"Oh, I don't know," she teased, releasing his hand and bumping his leg with her flank. Then again, Cadance continued to find herself unable to frown or grimace at the prince. "You saved me from being raped and gave me shelter. You take care of the hatchlings and play with them like any parent does, and you kept me company last night because I was having a nightmare."

He quite enjoyed this development, even more so when bumped his side again and decided to nip at his arm. Why she did that he had no idea, so went along with bumping the teenager in return and leaping onto the bed he rarely uses before she could retaliate.

 _Too slow. . ._ he proceeded to spit raspberries at her, although he lacked control and accidentally spat embers from his mouth. Thankfully, the sheets were fireproof.

That was when Cadance took to her more childish nature with the half-breed, prowling like a cat and smirking at him, with the eyes of a predator ready to make it's next kill. Dragomir noticed this and decided to leap across the room for a grand escape to the dining hall, but he was caught by surprise when the jump he attempted stopped short with him falling face-first into the mattress. He looked back to see his foot was wrapped in Cadance's magic, and he gasped with fear of what she would do to him.

Quickly, the princess of love pounced the prince and immediately, the two found themselves wrestling for dominance, the bodies shaking the entire bed and the laughter echoing all the way to the throne room as they fought desperately in their tickling to one another.

"Not so tough, are you?" Cadance cackled evilly, pinning his arms and legs with her hooves. She proceeded with merciless brushing of her wings to his armpits, causing the boy to flail and guffaw uncontrollably. Regardless of strength being on his side, he did not want to overpower the princess and make her fear him.

 _I give. I give. I GIVE!_ He screamed, tears gushing down his cheeks. He tried to roll over and get away, but the deviant princess was fast enough to tackle the teenager and drag him back under her hooves and resume torturing him.

"Admit it!" She demanded, grinning like a cheshire cat. "You're just a big softie."

 _Okay. Okay. I'm a softie. I'm the biggest softie in the kingdom!_

Finally she released the guffawing prince and rested against him, even she had to catch her breath after an endless five whole minutes of torturing his armpits. She rested flush against his chest and placed her hoof on Dragomir's hand and soon, the two were holding hand and hoof without realizing what it was they were doing, hand and hoof lying comfortably against his bare chest as voices echoed across the halls for a decent amount of time.

They snickered at the voices directed to their laughing and horse-playing before catching their breath and relaxing for a few minutes.

"Hey Dragomir," Cadance finally spoke up, eyes closed and cheek resting on the boy's shoulder.

 _Yes, Cadance?_ the prince replied, eyes wide open and tears being wiped from them. He absolutely loved the feeling of Cadance lying on him.

"Have you ever been this open with a girl?" Dragomir sighed, a sad expression immediately adorning his face.

 _You're the first girl to ever see me like this, and that says alot. I've always been the weakling in the group and looked down upon at school. Any dragoness I try to speak with walks or away or insults me. You can understand why I am happy with you, right?_ he began on a quiet voice. Cadance opened her eyes and looked at him apologetically, understanding why he would be the runt of his kind.

"So. . . you've never been on a date with a girl. . . or kissed?" She asked nervously, blushing at the prince as he shook his head with shame.

 _Holding your hoof is the closest thing I've done. . ._ He sighed. Cadance became aggravated, despising the judgment of her fellow females.

"Well it sucks to be them, because they're not getting a second chance." Cadance sneered, snuggling in the crook of his neck. Dragomir was now confused.

 _Why would they not get a second chance?_ He mused.

"Because. . ." she paused to the realization of what she just said and blushed darkly at the prince. She had been careful with what she says for last couple of days, but this one just slipped out and now she was in a pickle with the prince finding out how she feels. But she didn't want him to know just yet, she barely knew him and was not the kind of girl to jump into something more. She wanted to be a good friend first.

Finally, an idea came to Cadance, and she grinned at Dragomir as he sat up with her, staring worriedly into her eyes.

 _Cadance?_

"Okay. . . you and I are friends, so you trust me, right?" She asked somewhat seriously, though Dragomir was getting no clue as to what that had to do with what she said a minute ago.

 _Yes. . ._ He answered.

"And you are in debt to me, so you must do what I say, right?"

 _I guess so. . ._

"Then your mother and I are the only girls you can talk too." Cadance resolutely ordered, though a little too serious. Then again, who was to say that what she had just done is wrong? She was the only girl that talks to him, and he was cute, and she did not want the possibility of something more to be ruined by another during the development of their friendship.

 _I don't understand. Why would you—_

"Because they don't deserve your time, and as your _friend_ I will not let you be bullied or possibly manipulated by a girl that wants you for gain." Cadance stated the words, nuzzling the prince's lips affectionately so she could draw him. Sure they are not a couple, but he wasn't aware of what couples do. And with that, she could use his ignorance to keep him ensnared until it was time to have him for herself. She just had to play her cards right and make sure they have a good friendship first.

"But enough about that," she continued, removing herself from the teenager begrudgingly. Her words raised so many questions in the boy's head as the princess could no longer fight the growling in her stomach while he scratched his head confusedly. In the grand scheme of her plan, nobody knew what she had planned, and the entire situation turned out quite well. However, that did not mean she could let her guard down; there are some bright minds that could figure her out.

Her mind did not retreat from the plan, but something felt uneasy inside.

Dragomir and Cadance locked eyes once more, while thinking between one another what this morning really meant, both sighing in the end and hopping off the bed together to follow what their stomach were saying.

"I'm hungry," Cadance told him and burped lightly, turning many shades of red until Dragomir did the same. However, his consisted of a short range fireball that dispersed before it could reach the ceiling.

 _Sorry, I get the burps when I'm really hungry._ He said with no regret, as it brought relief to the alicorn as she followed him out of the room.

"I get them too," she giggled and kept pace with him. They were cautious about the dragon staff walking over them as gigantic trays were carried in both directions, some having food while the others were empty.

"So do all dragons have the ability to breathe lightning?" She asked, taking her mind off the plan she was going to put in motion by today.

 _No, it's something that developed when I turned twelve._ Dragomir chuckled, happy to have someone to tell about his abilities. Most of the time he was not given the time or day to talk about these things and ask if it was normal. Not even his parents would listen.

"So fire and lightning—pretty cool, but isn't it dangerous?" Cadance asked with genuine concern. She was thinking back to what she learned from his parents about his bad experience with breathing fire the first time.

 _It really depends on the control and aim, but fire and lightning is not the only thing I can do;_ the young prince began, eager to give more about himself. _My magic is something I can't really control. But I've been practicing on manipulating the energy to do other things; like, for example, releasing smoke that will blind others. That's pretty easy, but breathing ice is really hard._

"Can dragons possess a breath that is made of ice?" Cadance was astonished by this revelation, but Dragomir shook his head.

 _No, they can't. Dragons are solely fire, but I had a really bad cold when I was fourteen and sneezed so hard that I froze mom._ He laughed hardy at the memory of Megan being an icicle before his father thawed her. Surprisingly, Cadance was finding quite hilarious, but she was not fond of Megan in the first place. _Dad was so shocked that he put the kingdom on lockdown, thinking that somewhat froze her in an attempt to kill. It took forever to explain to him that I did it on accident. After that, I . . . well. . ._

"Don't tell me," Cadance snickered. "You froze him too?"

 _No. . ._ Dragomir drawled, cringing at the memory. _He was in his normal form, and I had another sneeze happen, and. . .I . . . accidentally froze his genitals._

At that point Cadance was guffawing with no control of herself. She gasped and laughed so hard that her voice boomed across the castle and alerted the king and queen that she and Dragomir were awake now. Dragons passing by stopped dead in their tracks and glanced down to the alicorn leaning against their prince with tears in her eyes.

"You. . . you froze your dad's privates. . ." Cadance sputtered. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath and fight the urge, but it was too much to hold in.

 _It's not that funny,_ Dragomir said nonchalantly.

"Yes it is." Cadance replied and leaned against him for support as the dragons shrugged their wings and went about their work. Both teenagers resumed walking to the dining hall, arm and wing touching without either noticing how close they were.

 _So. . . why am I not allowed to talk to other girls?_ the halfbreed asked, gazing off in the direction of the guards to see they were talking to his father, who just happened to notice him and Cadance from the corner of his eye.

"Because we are friends, and I am not going to let _my_ friend be hurt by any more girls." Cadance clarified, though it did not make sense at all.

 _That's not a good answer!_ Dragomir exclaimed, sputtering at the princess out of frustration for her sudden wink and nuzzle to his side.

"A girl does not have to give a direct answer," the princess giggled into her hoof.

 _Really, now you decide to play games with me. Well what if I just go talk to a girl right now!?_ Dragomir joked, though Cadance had him hooked and reeled into her trap already.

"You're already talking to a girl," she reminded with a cocky grin. "You're talking to me."

 _That . . . That doesn't. . . Oh forget it!_ Dragomir finally went silent and ignored the laughing princess. He crossed his arm and took a step to his right for space, but she would not show a shred of mercy, and stuck to him like glue with the king watching the entire thing.

Dragomir' deadpanned expression amused the alicorn and rewarded his goofiness with a hug of her wing, though it lasted much longer than any friendly hug she had given.

"Be careful what you say and do to a girl, you may just end up in a situation like this but worse," Cadance said cryptically with a smug smile to show. Dragomir tired his hardest not pay attention to the princess and her antics, but she was ensnared by his silence and loving this game of childish manipulation.

"Come on. Don't be like that." Cadance said with faux-hurt. She pretended to pout at the prince by quivering her lip and using the eyes to soften him up. The results were a successful attack on the boy's emotions, as he had turned red again and tried to look away, but she had reared up and made it so he could not look away from the purple eyes that were brim with fake tears.

 _You're enjoying this, aren't you?_ He alluded, grinning angrily with a vein throbbing in the right side of his forehead. She then leaned into his ear and grinned from ear to ear, whispering the last thing he wanted to hear.

"You're just a big softie, and it's cute."

 _Well you're just a girl that likes to tease._ He fired back with a devious smirk.

"No, I just like to tease you. It's fun, especially when I know just how much of a big softie you are. Tell me, how is a prince supposed to be tough when he hatchsits and plays with hatchlings?"

That did it right there. The prince of dragons stepped back and growled playfully at the alicorn preparing to run away. Heavy fire and smoke streamed out of his mouth as the Cadance watched his hair change into purple. Now she knew what color it meant and smiled evilly at him whilst turning away to get a head start.

"Purple looks good on you," she commented, flicking her tail teasingly. "It makes you look more feminine."

 _That's it. You're gonna get it!_ Dragomir declared, quickly sprinting after the laughing alicorn running from him.

Laughter could only be heard from then on as Erion smiled at the two. He ignored his guards informing him about the lack of staff in the castle from aiding the citizens with housing and salvaging what they could.

"Maybe we can have an alliance with Celestia." He said to himself.


	16. Details and Desires

Cadance had never been so exhausted and astonished in her life, but now wasn't the time to rest or think about it. Dragomir had just committed a heinous act to one of his own and he wasn't letting up. She realized that when he was happy, there was a dark side inside him, and everyone paid the price. He would go after anyone there in the castle when their guard was down, and if he could get close to strike at those he considered to be easy prey, he would do it.

She found herself pinning the snickering prince after flying outside to catch him and take the marker he used on a guard that fell asleep. She destroyed said marker and lied on the boy's back after rolling around in the gardens to keep him in place. She sent up a long prayer that the guard would not wake up and trace the incident to the teenager.

"Stay still!" Cadance managed to grunt, before resorting to desperate measures. She locked her tail around his legs and held onto his arms whilst pushing his head with her chin. "If we get caught because of you, I'm gone. I'm not bailing your flank or explaining to your parents that you got out of control." Frustration was in her voice, desperation in her hold as the prince struggled. "Just calm down and relax."

Cadance knew that her strength was nothing compared the prince's, but there was the belief in her beastly friend not using it to overpower her. She believed that he was too nice and too afraid to try without the risk of hurting her. She couldn't help but almost nuzzle Dragomir at the scent of his hair. Her mind was very strong, but she knew there were growing feelings inside her that were for this boy. She was aware of herself possibly falling for the prince, but there was concern. She held his chest with her wings, and she grasped him like chains would a prisoner.

Her nose was punched with his aroma. Her heart pounded and her hooves were starting shiver. Dragomir was permeating sweat from the struggle and cherry from his shampoo, but she wasn't thinking how he had such a sweet scent. She was simply intoxicated to the point of burying herself in the prince's mane. She swore and cursed under her breath before sniffing deep into his head. She relaxed just as Dragomir stiffened to her sudden touch. His eyes went wide, knowing the alicorn was acting weird. He kept silent though, waiting for her to come to her senses.

Unfortunately. . .

"What are you two doing?" A deep voice rumbled, startling the teenagers to their feet and hooves while the dragon that spoke narrowed his gaze on the princess. He didn't understand the princess anymore than his son did, but in the end, the chance of these two coming together was far greater than he expected, and all it took was what he saw.

He shrunk to his human size to face her, crossing both arms and swinging his tail carefully with anticipation. "Should I be concerned about the two of you being alone?"

Cadance opened her mouth to protest, but thinking back to how obvious it was of her sniffing Dragomir stole her voice. She blushed to the king, and to everyone's surprise, spun to Dragomir and buried her face in his chest to hide.

"This is so embarrassing," she muttered low enough for only the prince to her.

Erion chuckled deeply and pat the princess on the back of her head. "I will not stick my nose into what it is you two have going on." He spoke with kindness, but leaned into Cadance and grinned evilly as she looked back to him from the corner of her eye. "But just so you know princess, I had almost mistaken you two as mates."

That did it for Cadance. She turned completely red and hid in the prince's chest again as the king bellowed his laughter. Dragomir was not one to be embarrassed, however. He was slightly confused to his friend being so embarrassed by what they did, and looked down at her with curiosity in his eyes as she whimpered childishly.

 _Why are you worried, Cadance?_ He asked, petting the alicorn's mane as she looked up to him. Their eyes locked tightly on one another, but the moment was not meant to last when he said: _Dad is just teasing you. He knows we're just friends._

Cadance felt the impact of those words like a punch to her stomach, low and mean. She parted from the smoothing hands of her prince and fought back what felt to be tears crawling their way out, the first real sign of her feelings for the boy as he felt the same pain. She couldn't blame him though. She messed up his life and did nothing to show her feelings. Still, that did not mean she was going to give up and let some wench take him. She manipulated their friendship enough to keep him fooled, she wasn't going to let him get away in the end.

She grimaced at Dragomir and muttered under her breath: "Friends, for now. . ."

"Anyway," Erion said, interrupting the teenagers fun. He scratched the back of his head and looked away with embarrassment. "Megan and I have been arguing about this, but I think it's best that we enroll you into school, Cadance."

"So. . . then that means I will be around other dragons around my age?" Cadance worriedly asked the king.

"Well, not by yourself. Heavens, no. I am the king. I'll be sure to bend the system so your classes are with Dragomir." Erion proclaimed in a very laughing tone, patting both teenagers on their heads. He looked ridiculous to them, given his change of attitude and behavior. It felt like a dangerous change of personality.

His plan did sound amazing, however. Cadance smiled again and hugged Dragomir's side very lovingly. She nuzzled just the right spot to make her prince laugh and attempt pushing her away, but that iron grip in the alicorn's wings had him locked to her as Erion watched with amusement.

"When do we start?" She asked happily, although Dragomir was not as enthusiastic as her, especially when she would not stop hugging him.

"First off, you need supplies and, maybe, clothes. We are not too sure how ponies attend school." Erion said carefully. "The only student who is actually clothed during school is. . .well, Dragomir."

"Clothes are fine, but I have not a bit to me." Cadance reminded the king, but before she could grimace or frown for her lack of currency, Dragomir grinned and did what she would do to make him uncomfortable:

He nuzzled her cheek and said: _I'll pay for the clothes and supplies. I have too much gold anyway._

"Oh," Cadance chirped, confusing the dragon as he pondered just how deep their connection was. "Then I guess there is not a problem."

"And everything will be written in a letter to Celestia, when the sandstorm dies that is." Erion added, and turned away to return to his disheveled wife who was watching from the window, broken-hearted and angry at the turn of events.

The king waved at the two teenagers and said with his farewell: "Be glad, princess. Who knows, maybe you and Dragomir can bring peace and an alliance between our species."

Cadance and Dragomir pondered that for a moment. As a result, they blushed together but parted as the king disappeared from the gardens. They looked at one another, then looked away with deep thoughts about their days together bringing them so close that school was now going to happen. Neither royal knew what to say or do, for it drove them mad with mixed feelings as to how things would turn out when they join the other dragons.

That is until—

"WHY IS THERE BLACK INK ALL OVER MY SCALES!?"

Cadance and Dragomir immediately sprinted to the far end of the castle, and hid in his room for the rest of the morning.

* * *

Repressed emotions were flooding through Dragomir's body like a perilous river as he wasn't technically prepared for this moment as much as Cadance was. He had not lived a moment like this with anyone other than his mother, and that was a day where he could not endure the judgment of his subjects. He was learning the difference between friendship and a relationship with the princess of love pushing every button. Were it not for the dragons flying over the castle during patrol, he would have done something to respond.

Finally, with leveled breathing after their sprint across the castle, he spoke nervously to Cadance as she lied next to him, resting on his free arm while her tail intertwined with his hair. If she had tried that any sooner there would have been a fiery alicorn on the roof of the castle, but, thankfully, he was maintaining good control. That is as long as she doesn't tease him any more than she already had.

 _You know, I'm not even sure what kind of dragon blood I have._ He admitted as part of the alicorn's wing unfolded on his chest. At this point, he cared not for keeping Cadance warm as the temperature fluxed from the sandstorm and he would gladly have given his heat if he could do so. He focused on the passing dragons while his fellow teenager scooted closer, to the point of snuggling while he eyes locked on him.

"You are a prince, so shouldn't you have royal blood?" Cadance asked, relaxing to his touch and running her feathers across his chest. Dragomir shook his head and sighed.

 _Nope._ He chirped. _When they bonded me with the power of a dragon, I had my soul merged with multiple shards of other souls his family and friends willingly gave. Overtime, my blood altered and my body changed to what it is now._

"Do you have any idea what kind of dragon you may be?"

 _No clue. Also, it doesn't help that I can bend most elements that separate the dragons. Breathing fire and almost ice is a serious conflict of species._

"How so?" Cadance questioned, knowing full well she was in for another lesson about the prince and the difference in dragons.

Charging his right hand, Dragomir made so multiple spheres appeared before them with each species of dragon to see. Upon sitting up, he was fairly pleased, to say the least, to see Cadance taking a liking to these spheres and ready to learn a little. A quick collection of the facts he learned over the years, he began with the most basic of details.

 _Every dragon is special in it's own way, derived by the element they are born with._ He placed is hands on the first sphere and pointed at the obvious facts. _Dragons are named by the color of their scales. Like this one having red scales, it's known as a ruby dragon, but that isn't all to tell the difference. Ruby dragons have a special fire that allows them to carve rubies into almost anything you desire._

"I think I understand," Cadance drawled, sitting up with the prince but still hanging onto him as the lesson went on with the next sphere. She had to admit that although school is something she doesn't favor, this was quite interesting and something about the boy explaining his species had her interested.

 _As for the pearl dragon, you can see that it is blue_ Dragomir continued, handing the sphere to her this time. _Their element is actually water. Sure, all dragons breathe fire, but they have a weird sensory to pearls and command water and ice. They are also the only species that like to swim._

Cadance nodded and handed the sphere back to the prince before taking another he eagerly waited to give her. Now this one caught her attention, for it was similar to what Dragomir did to silver tooth. It's power was tremendous and it some hair behind it's barbs that sparked as it flew through what was a lightning storm.

 _That is a sapphire dragon, it's white scales are actually good for absorbing electricity,_ He leaned into the mare's side, never noticing the blush on her cheeks when she realized their heads were touching. _They command the sky and have the ability to create storms. Their magic is so powerful that they can manipulate the cold and hot air to build storms when needed. Most of the time they're used for filling our watering holes or cleaning the entire city with a rainstorm after the sandstorm passes by._

"And that one?" Cadance pointed at the largest sphere. Silence had taken over Dragomir as he stared at the wingless green dragon in the sphere, standing on the highest peak of a mountain. His scales glistened in the sunlight as he poured green fire into the sky, proving his authority to the others around him.

 _That is the deity dragon, and they're extinct._ Dragomir said, and then sighed with disappointment before dissipating the spheres. _They're a species that command magic and all of the elements. They may be wingless, but their scales are as tough as steel. They became extinct hundreds of years ago._

"What happened to them?"

Dragomir scratched the back of his head and shook his, knowing so little about the story behind their demise. _The story my dad told me is that a powerful entity hunted them down and drained their life force. Other than that, I have no idea._

Silence returned and continued on after the prince grew tired of explaining to Cadance about dragons and he had to work extra hard to hide the blush on his cheeks during their relaxation on the roof. Cadance herself had no trouble expressing affection by resting on his arm some more and nuzzling his his burning face from time to time, but she still ended up having moments of embarrassment when his hands moved. None of her was tense though, save for her wings when he stroked the one across his chest. With so much of their connection developing, both teenagers had to look away from one another to keep what little composure during their hiding from the dragon that was still covered in ink and rampaging through the castle.

 _What's your home like?_ He asked, confusing the alicorn. Cadance turned her attention to the half-breed beckoning her attention and slowly turned to him, loosening in his arm with amusement to his curiosity.

"Well. . ." she playfully teased him with looking up to the eye of the sandstorm and tapping her chin. "Think of green fields and lots of trees. There's lots of vegetation and everypony has a smile on their face."

 _Are the trees alive?_

"Of course," she laughed. She stopped though when his eyes wandered from hers. One thing she mentally noted and watched was how the prince had a smile on his face when she answered.

 _I'd like to see one,_ he chuckled. _A live tree that is._

"You've never seen a tree that's alive?" Cadance asked skeptically, returning to the comfort of his arm and pulling the other across her wing. Dragomir was bemused by the question.

 _I live in a desert. You tell me._

Cadance needed nothing more from that and had nothing to say. She simply returned to staring at the sandstorm and feeling the same pity for the prince when she first met him. Her mind mentally shackled around the things Dragomir might have never witnessed during his life as a dragon prince and she felt a little sorry for him. She could understand a little more about his reason for running and wondered how much he has missed during his childhood. Surely there were some good things he experienced, right?

"You've been stuck in this castle all your life."

 _Yup._

"So you really were running away from home, but you found me at the time."

 _It was not my intention of finding you, but after seeing what was happening. . . I couldn't stop myself from ending those gryphons._

She felt a serious drop in the middle of stomach and frowned as Dragomir pet her mane.

"Good thing you did find me." She added and shivered at the though of what could have happened if hadn't.

"Huh?" Dragomir then sat up, startling the princess. He pointed to the entrance of the castle. "What the heck is she doing up there?"

The focus of their conversation ended with the princess staring in the same direction as Dragomir. The distance made it hard to see who it was glaring down at them, but the pasty colored skin gave it away in a heartbeat as they stood up and walked closer for a better view.

 _Mom?_ Dragomir raised a hand and waved at the queen, but his heart plummeted to his stomach. Megan scoffed at the two and stepped back to shut the curtains, leaving her only child to simmer in the sorrow. He felt as if everything happening was his fault and fell back on his rump while the princess standing next to him grit her teeth. The heartbroken prince wasn't sure what abandonment felt like, but something inside him said this was similar. He looked up to Cadance as she fell next to him and nuzzled his cheek.

 _I don't know what to do. . ._

"I do!" She snapped, and immediately faced him. Cadance's eyes narrowed dangerously on the prince and she put her forehooves in his hands. She blushed intensely and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Avoid her."

 _What? Why?_ He tilted his head, and the young princess took in a deep breath to compose herself before saying:

"It is not your fault for what is happening. She's just being a stubborn mule because you and I are hanging out. Eventually she will regret her actions and come crawling to you."

 _But what if she doesn't?_

"How long will this sandstorm last?"

 _A few months._

Cadance grinned and surprisingly nuzzled the teenager's lips. Dragomir's face immediately blew up with red.

"If she doesn't, then you'll run away with me. To Equestria."


	17. First Day of Shopping

Cadance listened with Dragomir the quiet banter of the dragons as they followed Erion out of the throne room and into the city under construction, it's disheveled state already under immediate and quick repairs done by much smaller dragons she had yet to see during her stay. She remained close to her fellow teenager, letting the shared amusement warm them both whilst the king illuminated the citizens with his presence and his demand for the pony princess to not be treated a lowly creature, or be faced with wrath that is on the edge of divine. She nuzzled the prince's side lovingly, indicating to him more affection and a confession to her feelings. To her dismay, Dragomir was not the smartest boy and took her touch as something friends normally do and brushed it with petting her neck, a response she dreaded with a groan, as it was her desire to be given the same feeling in return.

 _Oh well, I guess it's better that we are friends. . . for now._

This was a telling moment for the prince. If he brought enough gold and jewels, or was going to run short and look bad in front of his father and the alicorn. Dragomir hoped Cadance wasn't the kind of girl to drain a man of his hard-earned money, but he would not hesitate to spend it, even if it meant she would be sucking dry with supplies and clothes that are going to cost him a platinum block or two.

The two teenagers walked slowly behind the king, lifting hand and wing together and locking firmly for all to see. Though it were to stay as close to one another, they knew the citizens of any kingdom were all the same, knew them for the relentless, implacable infection to spread word across the entire city. Their touch was killing the bantering of the dragons when feathers interlocked with fingers, claws dragging softly across the appendage to soothe their hearts. Neither of them was about to separate just because a few pictures were taken by the dragons that decided to use it as gossip.

Cadance began to sweat profusely, hiding beneath the prince's hair and against his side as more camera flashes were seen. Dragomir growled slowly, lifting his hand toward the sky, holding a pressurized sphere of orange and red as he focused on every camera. He channeled the sphere until it had a strong pull and released it, unsealing the intense magic that grabbed the cameras and ripped them away from the gossipers. He was fast and accurate when he had to be and there was no give in him when the sphere floating above his palm absorbed every camera and turned them into dust, infuriating everyone but his father and the now calm princess deeply nuzzling him after watching the light show come to an end with a fiery snort from his nostrils.

Erion slowled his pace and arched his neck, staring down at his bemused son with a smile during the roaring complaints that grew. "That was most admirable of you, my son. Cadance should not be succumbed to those poisonous maggots that filth our kingdom."

Dragomir shrugged his shoulders, thinking to himself: _Can't have the paparazzi spreading lies. She's too pretty for that kind of crap._

Cadance's heart leapt to her her throat, keeping a strong grip on the prince's hand, making certain that he could not escape her touch when they touched sides. She hadn't so much as moved an inch from the boy during their walk through the streets. It was a sight for sore eyes that homes and stores were already back in one piece, but there was still much work to be done to the city, especially after Erion did so much damage to stop his brother.

Dragomir rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks as red as the fiery color of his hair. _So this is the first time I have ever gone shopping. I hope you know what it is you're looking for._

Cadance did her best to not look so surprised, but she could not quite manage it. Her emotions felt far too loose for any restraint. She glowed with excitement that her first day outside of the castle, her first day freedom, was going to be dragging the prince around the city and showing him how fun it can be to shop.

"You are going to have a blast;" she said enthusiastically, skipping happily with her _friend_ trying to keep up. "There is so much you can do when shopping, and I am going to show you."

Dragomir cringed. If he remembered about shopping, it was that his father would come back home a dying mess with bags on every horn and claw he could carry before falling onto the floor and complaining how much he hated to shop with Megan.

All around the prince he could dragons who owned stores demanding the alicorn makes a quit stop and desperately point at their place of business in both worry and glee. Their nostrils could seen shrinking and expanding as they took a big whiff of the gold and jewels jingling in his pouch. Even the brave prince of Dragoria was staring at his subjects with fear after proceeded to follow behind with offers.

"Alright, we better make haste or we'll be consumed by those vultures," Erion commented, moving behind the two and nudging them with his nose. "Hurry. Both of you. I can already feel myself losing energy with these greedy beasts."

Dragomir nodded. _That makes two of us, dad._

* * *

Dragomir paused mid-step whilst entering the first store that glimmered in Cadance's eyes, her hooves leaving tread marks in the street after she witnessed a gryphon opening their shop and placing a few dresses into the display cases. He looked back to his father for help, but the king of dragons was busy fending off the greedy dragons that followed them across the city to the higher class, roaring and snapping his jaws at them.

"Take your time." The king growled, tossing a male half his city into the crowd.

Dragomir immediately rolled into the store after a claw barely missed his backside. Eyes as wide as dinner plates, he began to panic and slammed the door with back and arms against it after seeing his father rise off the ground and declare punishment with a mighty roar.

He took a deep breath and rubbed his temples, watching the princess greet the gryphon behind the desk and ask for clothes to try on. _This is going to be the worst day of my life._

"And clothes for my friend as well." That was all he processed walking up to the alicorn. He groaned again, trying to avoid eye contact with the female gryphon beaming with shock and joy.

Cadance noted that Dragomir pressed his fingers to temples again. "What's wrong?"

 _My dad is fending off the dragons you drew in with your declaration of showing me how fun it is to shop._

Cadance looking out the window and saw what the prince meant, her gleeful smile becoming sheepish with the blush on her cheeks. "I did not think about how greedy dragons could be, but let's not try to think about it," she suggested, suddenly back to her perky-self. There was a hint of disdain in the prince's voice, just a small whine during their descent into the room below. "Let's go see what she has. He said the promising attire is in the room below."

 _The more expensive stuff. . ._

* * *

An hour. An entire hour of switching from skimpy shirts and flank covers to actual dresses. Like a leech draining the blood from his body, Dragomir sat in the corner motionless with each new outfit finding the hamper that the clerk put in front of the curtains. He didn't ant to admit to the mare that he would rather fight those gryphons that attacked him, but having a fight to the death sounded much better than having the life sucked out of you by a pony that can't decide what to wear. Hell, even king of dragons was taking a nap in front of the store, blocking the entrance with his massive body. And no one dared disturb the king when he'd already been put in a foul with the mostly dispersed crowd.

The young prince wanted to chew his claws off as Cadance burst out of the dressing room with a chirp. "I think I may have finally found something that suits me. What do you think?"

Dragomir barely had the energy to open his eyes, let alone look up to the alicorn standing in front of him expecting his honest answer. Surprisingly though, when he did, he slammed his hands down on the arms of his seat, splintering the wood as another sizzle of emotions burst in his hair and on his cheeks. He'd seen a few dragoness' in his life that looked good at his size and wearing dresses, but that his kind. This was Cadance he was thinking about and she was stealing that thunder without even trying. He could see why his mother despised alicorns and how it would be worrisome if he fell for for a pony, but it was too late for that. His heart was beating like a train engine full of coal, and the smoke was coming out of his ears and nostrils.

Lightning zigzagged around Cadance after she stepped out of the dressing room, a giant whip-like arc lashing through the sapphires embedded in the frills like a cat-o'-nine tails. She caught the surprise look on Dragomir's face and threw him a sexy wiggle of her body with lust in her eyes.

Soft laughter rippled through his mind, almost a giggle. He blushed again and choked on the lump in his throat, a sound Cadance had never heard before, and it all the more exciting to see the prince who was stealing her heart now turning into a mess with just a dress.

"How do I look?" She fluttered her eyes at the boy.

That question wrapped around his heart and squeezed tight, his voice broken with the various lewd thoughts going on in his head. Thank the heavens she could not read them.

 _You look very sex—I mean pretty! Yes, very pretty! The dress really sticks to your bu—body! Your body! It does wonders for your curves!_

Cadance knew what he really wanted to say and decided it was time to mess with the prince. Grinning evilly at her prey crossing his legs, she moved closer, walking slow toward him, her mane swept back in a braid that matched the cerulean dress. The silken mass was tight to her body and she knew it would torment the boy, but it was payback time for causing so much trouble with the guards and making her fall for him.

Her eyes shone like diamonds as she had a burning breath that touched his skin. Opening his legs and pressing her chest to him, she felt like a storm to the boy, the lightning streaking around the two of them through his hair as she touched his nose against hers.

She looked erotic, stealing his breath with a quick lick to his lips. The burning red of his hair literally ignited and surrounded them, rising as she made the bold move of slipping her wings between the seat of chair and his rump, caressing both cheeks tenderly. The lightning was golden in fusion of the fire blazing off his hair, sweeping through their bodies as she rose gracefully and then planted a kiss on the edge of his cheek, torturing her protector with the taste on the corner of his lips that sent his hair into a wild inferno, her eyes hazy with desire.

Dragomir's breath caught his throat. Beside him, the seller's beak dropped. Cadance's soft laugh and pure joy was contagious and both boys smiled at her nervously.

"Is this the first time a girl has kissed you?" Cadance whispered seductively. He nodded furiously, and the young princess tightened her grip on his butt. "Hmm. . . you taste pretty good. It's a shame they won't get to have you."

The flaming whips of his hair changed color going pink, blue, and gold as she made intricate caresses of his chest with her hoof, all the while his body moving into the touch to a melody only he could hear.

Cadance glanced up to the rapt expression on Dragomir's face and giggled low, her heart fluttering. "You have a little drool on the side of your mouth."

 _What is this feeling?_ Dragomir asked before he could censor his shock. "My chest is burning."

Cadance ended her teasing, this time stopping herself from making herself the only girl that he would ever kiss, trotting away with a blush of her own whilst taking the dress off and levitating it to the counter. "It's called being attracted to somepony, but you could not possibly be attracted to me, could you?"

He had no answer for the princess, only steam rolling out of his nose and his entire body turning pink as she waited for him at the desk to pay the few outfits that caught her interest.

"You gonna pay for these?" She laughed, winking at the prince as he had one thought come to mind.

 _Why do I feel that I just got used?_

Said feeling continued to eat the prince away as he paid for the clothes and bagged them himself, his business earning him the gratitude of another kiss to his cheek before he was dragged out of the store by his hand and made to wake up his snoring father with a strong roar. You would think it was a process to wake up a sleeping dragon, but Dragomir was not the kind of boy to beat around the bush. The sound forced his father's eyes open, and he was flung across the street when the king shot his head up and screamed:

"I wasn't dreaming of a harem!"

* * *

"What am I supposed to do now?" Princess Celestia, deity of sunlight, asked herself in a frantic pace, jerking her gaze to the world beyond her walls. "We've lost her trail and there is not a clue to her path. If the council finds out. . ."

"We'll find her," Shining Armor interrupted, adjusting his new armor and position with a salute.

Celestia had hastily prepared her guard for going beyond the call of duty to find her missing niece. The request was not comfortable and the price of success was not meeting the danger she would putting her soldiers in. Fear blanketed her mind though, obscuring her sense of reason, cutting off all conscience from the rest of her mind. She was desperate, like a mother searching for her foal, and all she had to keep her comfort was the ribbon that was left behind. How she could manage being in a castle while her niece was out there, cold and afraid, she did not know, but she was the only royal in Canterlot that had a could keep the kingdom from falling into chaos.

"We have no idea what those monsters are doing to her, Sergeant Armor. For all we know, they could be starving her or worse, and we sit here while it happens." Celestia said in a panic, looking across lands to the glimmering borders with tears in her eyes. "How I have let this happen? I should have known the gryphon king would take her when I refused his terms."

Shining Armor tilted his head at her. "Don't you find it strange though that he has yet to make contact. If he had Cadance in his grasp, we would have know weeks ago, yet there is no word from him."

That did sound strange to the princess and she was about to agree him, but her voice was caught in her throat faster than she could realize how startled she became when the doors to her throne flew open with a pair of guards dragging a familiar face, his wounds still bleeding through the gauze that was kindly given to him by the zebra he came across in the everfree forest weeks ago.

The princess hadn't been brought to her boiling point in a very long time, but this foul creature had her on the brink of bringing back execution into her justice system. The gryphon was well on his way to having his head put on a mantle when he looked to the infuriated princess scowling down at him.

"What happened here?" Shining Armor asked, studying the culprit.

"A squad from the northern border found him," One of the guards answered bluntly. "We don't know how he ended up like this, but one of the squadmates gave us details that he was admitting to being one of the princess' attackers"

"That's interesting," Shining Armor commented, glaring at the poor soul with his beak falling apart. He gave the gryphon a sarcastic smile. "I take it the princess gave you and your goons quite the beating."

The gryphon coughed blood and spit before answering in a deep, raspy wheeze: "Not the princess. She was scared out of her wits. Something else killed my comrades and almost got me, something that looks like a minotaur, but it was furless."

"Furless?" The sergeant questioned, turning to the princess, who was just as confused as him.

"Yes," the gryphon nodded. "It walked on two legs like a minotaur, but it had feet similar to an ape."

"A furless minotaur with ape feet?" Shining Armor looked up to his princess for clarification. The look in her eyes, however, silenced the young unicorn as he suddenly found himself left alone to deal with the culprit, but not without hearing the alicorn whisper:

"Megan. . ." She pulled a locket out of her regalia, unlocking it to reveal a picture of her and the woman holding an infant.

She scowled at the picture and asked herself: "Where have you gone with our son?"


	18. Dangerous Feelings fixed

Dragomir left the overbearing and twisted store abruptly, escaping the menacing clutches of a free-reign shopper that was laughing with no restraint and chasing him, his nose pinched tightly with blood dripping off his chin as unholy thoughts rose in his imagination. _She's a freaking maniac that likes to be a tease. I am so sick of her doing this crap when she knows that I have no idea how to react to females dressing like that._ He said the last part with disgust.

"Dragomir!" Cadance laughed, galloping to her blushing and trying to sound seductive. "Come back. It's just a dress!"

He wished it was just a dress, but to a boy who was experiencing certain _needs_ as a human and dragon, the conflict of his urges and sense of right and wrong were at war with one another whilst the growing size beneath his pants became almost too visible for others to see, so he made to adjust himself before it got out of hand.

The prince wanted to leave. To go home and sit on his horde in the safety and comfort of his bedroom, listening to the bliss of dragons roaring in the middle of the night and the night creatures that prowl around the city. He needed to be cleansed after going inside the next store that Cadance noticed and dragged him into, after having vivid but tempting images of the alicorn leaving her dress booth in that attire.

Just a dress, so she said. However, in his head it was something far too seductive. He may have seen none other than his mother a dress, but it did not curve her features like the dress was doing to Cadance.

 _Leave me alone!"_ He barked in the corners of his mind, leaping over the claw of his curious father before climbing up his scales to hide in the numerous bags and packages he'd already bought to accomodate the girl's needs.

Cadance giggled some more and flapped her wings to follow her friend, realizing he never saw a girl so well dressed. The prince's response made her smile, and she'd been expecting him to respond with disgust after seeing the price tag, but he was kind enough to buy it for her before running through the doors. There was so much to learn about the boy, so many things to teach him about girls, and so far it was enjoyment and adventurous to discover that he'd never seen a girl when she is looking her best.

She made her way above the king before stopping mid-air to see Dragomir had dove into the pile of gifts, his entire form gone behind part of the pile collapsing over where he disappeared. She could barely hear him grumble and growl while fidgeting around in the small mountain of bags of boxes. She looked to Erion who arched his head to see what the fuss was all about.

"That is a most lovely dress, princess." Erion said with a cocky smile, making her blush a little. "I don't suppose you are trying to impress somepony. . .or some dragon?" He asked the last with fervor.

Cadance was not at all trying to impress anyone, pink and purple were her favorite colors and the dress screamed for her to pick it and wear it to see if Dragomir approved, but now she was having too much making the prince discover what it means to be flustered when you see the one you like, dressed nicely for you. It had become that intention when she asked if it was too much and his response was a sudden gush of blood from his nose, and she was loving every second of this boy liking her that much.

Still, she couldn't keep her own feelings from the dragon kin and blushed behind her mane after lifted himself a little more to meet her at eye level. She waved a hoof to shoo the dragon and felt a little stressed by the scrutinizing eyes of other dragons watching her torment their prince. That did not mean they were disliking it though.

"It's alright princess, I am glad that it is you who is introducing my son to these new emotions." Erion's smile became sad while he turned his head to find his son's eyes glowing through the darkness of that clothing mountain. "He should have experienced these things when he was younger, but you can understand how difficult it is for him to even get out of the castle."

Cadance came out of hiding behind her mane and stared at the elder dragon with a little more understanding about him. She frowned at the thought of how deprived Dragomir was and for his unwilled lack of a social life. The thought of a mother shackling her only child made her heart burn all the more for the prince. Like she was determined to be his friend and understand these new emotions, she was determined to defy the queen to let Dragomir have a life.

"Why do you put up with her so much when she makes Dragomir miserable?" Cadance demanded, making the king chuckle lightly.

Dragomir had poked his head out of the pile at that question and turned to his father with curiosity. Even he wondered why through all the pain and troubles his mother gives him would his own father still tolerate her cruelty and poor parenting.

"It's not her fault," Erion answered calmly, although both teenagers could see the fury behind his eyes. "If anybody should recieve the hatred and anger she endures, it should be me." With that said, he looked back to the princess to find her confused. "After all, I am the ruler of the most dangerous kingdom and the source of many of our problems."

Cadance shook her head. "Wait. Wait. Wait. . ." She had to collect her thoughts for a moment. "How is it your fault that Dragomir is never allowed to leave the castle? How are you the one responsible for his cage-like life?"

Erion sighed and turned his gaze to the castle, seeing with his enhanced vision his wife standing in a window and glaring at him. It broke his heart to see the love of his life so distraught and angry all the time, but that was entirely his fault. He really was the source of their problems and making it harder every day for things to go back to normal.

"Understand. . ." He took a moment to push away the shame in his heart. "That Megan has been through many traumatizing events. Her mind is fractured and heart is very cold to those who disrupt her life. It has been that way ever since. . .since. . ." He could not find the courage to speak.

Cadance noticed the fire in his eyes died-out as if it were stolen. She didn't look away from him, as if that dragon standing in front of her, a claw wiping away a tear, was not the same kind she'd come to like in a few day—and in truth he wasn't.

Erion couldn't bear to think back to that monster he exposed himself as in the past; on some level, whether he had convinced himself it was in the past and that he did the right things or not, he knew the crime of his power was used wrong.

"King Erion." Cadance's voice was gentle. Her tone was like pure water, fresh and soothing like a mountain stream, washing over the king as she put a caring hoof on his nose. "Since what? Did something happen that changed her?"

"Yes," he lowered his head. "And it is an incident that makes me grieve for her."

Dragomir realized what he was talking and hid returned to hiding in the pile with nothing but pain and sadness in his chest. He thought back to the terror he experienced when he was just a boy and curled into a ball while listening to his father try and tell the story. He could still feel the agony those monsters gave him. The rippling sensation of someone violating you.

"King Erion," Cadance said again, this time sitting on the dragon's nose. "What happened that changed her?"

Erion took a deep breath and said with disgust:

"Come—" He lowered his head to the alicorn. "We will discuss this during a little walk around the city."

Cadance did not hesitate to land on Erion's head. She considered this to an honor but paid no attention to the fact that she was not just riding on a dragon, but the dragon king. She was completely focused on the mystery that made Megan such a terrible wife and mother. She sat at the top, watching her large friend think deeply while Dragomir decided to come out of hiding and join her side.

She turned to look at the prince, her cheeks growing hot as her voice cracked, as if he took her ability to speak and shackled it with just a simple drape of his arm across her back.

"Always so protective and misunderstood," Erion mused aloud. "Cadance, you must understand that my kindgom is close to the borders of some very dangerous empires. I am not sure how your kingdom is ran, but in mine it my job to protect my subjects."

"Okay?" The teen princess drawled, cocking an eyebrow at the king. "So what does that have to do with Megan being so. . . mean?"

Mean was an understatement about the queen, but she did not want to go too far with insulting the king. Lest she wanted to invoke his wrath and find herself in a dungeon or worse—homeless.

"The guards are to protect the queen, for she is the symbol of our species. The voice and thought of our kind." Erion said. "As for the prince or princess—and forgive me for this—they are like any dragon youth. It is their job to prove themselves worthy among their kind."

He nodded slowly, his smile dissolving into a deep frown. "However, the situation we experienced years ago changed my wife from a loving queen to a bitter one." He added. "Dragomir had barely learned to walk when the enemy of my kind was at my doorstep while I was patrolling the borders."

"Enemies?" Cadance reiterated. "But you're a dragon, and a dragon is one of the mightiest creatures in all of Equus."

"Mighty, yes." Erion agreed. "But might is nothing if you cannot outsmart your enemy. And that is what exactly happened when I was between the borders of my kingdom and the Minotaur Empire."

Cadance gently leaned against Dragomir and wrapped her hoof around arm, caressing long strokes over the scars he earned from saving her. Dragomir mirrored her actions and found with her a comfortable spot of his father's head.

Erion touched his tongue to his dry, scaly lips. "A terrible species known as the caribou made an alliance with the zebras, and through a means of intelligence and quick wits. . . they stole Dragomir from us as a warning for when I rejected to join their conquest."

Cadance's spine shivered with a sickening chill, a wave of suppressed memories flooding her when those two species reached her ears. The wave crashed her mind and everything her aunt said about those kingdoms made her stomach lurch with the disgusting thought of those sex-crazed monsters having attempted to reach Equestria decades ago.

 _They're real. . ._

The sickness broke though by the sudden realization of what Erion said and replaced her fear with anger and obsession. She swallowed the burning hate, a small shudder running though her body as she surrounded the prince with warmth of her wing.

Dragomir felt the mare shudder and pulled her closer, held her tightly, pressing his cheek against hers while the soothing warmth was returned with smooth strokes of his fingers. He inhaled the dusty air of his home took solace in Cadance being so close and caring.

"I couldn't have anticipated them spying on my wife and son, but they did." Erion's voice lowered, his mind unwillingly reaching to the darkest pits of his memory.

 _I'm not liking this._ Dragomir whispered, his connection with Cadance growing stronger. His voice was clear for the princess, as she could hear every word without a hitch, inside her mind.

"They took you, son." Erion added, stomping through the streets. "They took you and forced your mother to follow while I was still at the borders. It wasn't until a scout informed me of what happened."

Fear and anger welled up from the prince's center, burned through his body, and rushed through his veins and out of his hair. He had tapped into the fire in himself for what seemed like an overabundant fuel he had trouble finding. His emotions though, were linked and built the fire in a smoldering blaze of each strand, and touched the princess without her realizing it until she listened to him growl.

Cadance's eyes widened and sparkled as she watched the young prince express his true feelings for his mother, her thoughts conflicted with Erion's past and the prince's expression. While she had not yet said a word for her fellow teenager to calm down, she may as well have been talking to a brick wall. She knew for a given fact that dragons have intense emotions, and Dragomir was needing to release his.

"Wow. . ." She looked down at her hoof to find that the fire was not touching her, but rather rotating upward and avoiding her touch whilst changing from color to color every few seconds.

But then she was made aware by the king that it was dangerous.

"Dragomir!" Erion barked, startling the young mare as he glared at his own son. "You need to calm down!"

The boy's gaze shot to the elder dragon, his immense rage and understanding piercing his father's glare in equal conflict while the princess went back and forth looking at them in concern.

"Son," The king growled worriedly. "You're going to burn up if you don't stop. This is something you don't have to be angry about. I took care of the problem."

Cadance kept her attention on the dragon but focused on making sure her friend would calm down. She had a good idea on how to make him stop before his fire became a problem.

"How exactly did you take care of it?"

Erion rolled his eyes and sighed. "Princess, this is not the time to be asking about my past."

Dragomir made a black fireball not unlike a corrupted dragon as he proceeded to stand up, his burning features turning dark while Cadance used her magic to hold him in place.

Cadance was unsure what black fire meant and wondered with slight curiosity if it was bad. She turned and stared at Erion as he attempted to speak calmly with his son, but she could see behind those intimidating eyes a loving father that was scared of what was happening.

"Son," his voice cracked a little. "I'm begging you. Calm down or you're going to corrupt yourself. Please, for my sake and your mother's."

Both the princess and king waited patiently for the prince to find his sense of reason and get a grip on his emotions, but seconds turned into minutes with no sure sign of improvement. Tears started to fall on the dragon's scales and sizzle before turning to vapor. He began to hyperventilate, all the while of slowly turning coal-skinned and hotter than any fire he could muster.

"Son. . . PLEASE!" Erion barked desperately. "They will never come back. Both species are endangered. I burned every root of royalty they have."

The Princess of Love was done watching the prince turn himself into a monster for all to see. She remained silent long enough to watch him change horribly and was not going to it happen when she could do something. She could worry about what kind of killer Erion was after getting her friend to come back to his senses.

Cadance pushed herself up to her hooves and swiftly removed her new dress before tossing it in the bag. Her head felt like as if it might explode, a mistake she made with dizziness overtaking her for a moment before she broke the connection of her magic around the boy. "I can't believe I'm going to do this for you," she commented. It took a moment to get her legs back. She swayed a little after braving the boy's heat to find it did not burn her, to her own shock. But in the end she straightened her back, reared up, and pulled the prince close with a kiss to the cheek.

"Oh dear. . ." Erion was stunned, just like the other dragons that watched their prince regain his color. It must have been a deep enough shock to snap him out of the his consuming rage and draw out the same embarrassment he felt every time this pony gets too comfortable with him.

The feeling sent shivers up his spine as Cadance released him. She sighed contently and smiled at him with one hoof still wrapped around his torso. "Don't act so stupid. Your dad and I were afraid that you lost it."

Dragomir had nothing to say except whisper in the alicorn's head that he was sorry for losing his temper. He did not kiss her back—not that it would have been a bad thing in the first place—but rather due to his limbs going numb before suddenly collapsing beneath the princess.

His eyes betrayed him, as did his mind. He was forced into a slumber with the pony nudging him and screaming before everything went black and silent.

Cadance was immediately doing what she could to help him stay with her, pumping him with magic using the only known spell her aunt taught her to use when Twilight tries to use advanced spells at home. But pumping a little filly with magic was nothing compared to Dragomir. His reserves were massive.

"Dragomir," she nudged his head again, after giving up on channeling magic to help the sudden chill to his body. "DRAGY!"

"He's burnt out most of his fire," Erion commented, sighing to himself.

"You have to help him," Cadance replied with a yell. "He's hardly breathing."

"Calm yourself, princess." He reassured the girl with a puff of fire, which was quickly absorbed by the prince. "There, he'll be awake momentarily. Until then, I think it's best that I tell you what it is you just saw."

"Is now a good time!?" Cadance barked.

Erion nodded, but kept his eye focused on the castle tower to watch as his wife stormed away.

"Princess, you know the terrors of a dragon's greed." He reiterated with a serious tone of his voice. "But did you know a dragon can die by it's own rage?"

* * *

"He continues to let that damn alicorn swoon our son!" Megan barked, throwing all her makeup off the desk with a flick of her hand. "DAMN YOU, ERION. WHY CAN'T YOU SEE THAT SHE WILL GET HIM KILLED."

She stormed into her office, surprising the two guards, and collapsed into her seat. She was done trying to be nice about this and felt it was time to take matters into her own hands before it was too late. Quickly, she levitated a quill off the corner and into her hand before furiously writing a proposition.

 _Queen Minerva._

 _My Dearest Friend. . ._

 _How is your daughter, Chrysalis?_

A sickly sweet smile grew on her lips.


End file.
